Dead men's dreams

There has obviously been a lot said on remembering the First World War and there are so many wars going on over contentious issues today, some with such sickening brutality . Have we learnt anything from those who boldly went to defend our lands? Or are we perpetuating the same mistakes, over and over again. Those thoughts inspired or rather stirred this poem.

Dust to dust

And ashes to ashes
Memories of lives laid down
In the cause
of older men’s quarrels
The dead of war
strewn across the land
Dreams of the future
but an empty sigh on the breeze

Does our land cry out
over the burden
of those lives lost
and dreams vanquished?
Does our land cry out
for redemption
forgiveness
truth?

Let the whispers in the trees
of dead men’s dreams
tell us to lay down
our quarrels
to seek peace first
to be reconciled to our neighbour
For creation cries out for release
from the bondage
of the cries
of dead men’s dreams
laid buried
in the
soil
of the land
on which
we
stand