Rocket Time



Sometimes the screenshots appear blurred,
the winter fogging camera lenses in Ukraine,
details not fine enough for telescopic videos.
But it’s true, I know, everything blurs
when the rockets fall.

Easier than for human eyes to endure
the focused truth, the unmasked anguish,
the goddamned fear and oh my, the anger,
the rage and the all-alone-ness you feel
when the rockets fall.

Where do you go when you’re the bullseye
and the target is also your land and your people?
Where do you go when the towers tumble
and the trees burn and the park
is no longer a haven when the rockets fall?

I held my breath, urged my own swift death
after the loudness became bright white
and the buildings exploded, and cannons boomed,
for decades pounding my ears and my psyche
after the rockets fell.

You stumble on, memories and dreams jammed in a vinyl suitcase
with tiny wheels caught in the twisted rebar,
the crumbling concrete, the persistent smell
of the smoldering ruin and the nervous sweat
When the rockets fell and fall again.

The flight from war wearies everyone and still
we rush on, from homes to shelters if there
are any but for now with a tiny hope for
future and for peace far beyond
where the rockets fall.

About this poem

This about the experience of being pummeled with rockets from a personal perspective.

Font size:
Collection  PDF     
 

Written on March 06, 2122

Submitted by DJGillert on March 06, 2022

Modified on April 25, 2023

1:11 min read
2,023

Quick analysis:

Scheme xxxxA xxxxA xbbxa xxxxc xxcxx xxxxa
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 1,222
Words 238
Stanzas 6
Stanza Lengths 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5

Douglas J. Gillert

Douglas Gillert was a career publicist and journalist with the Armed Forces and Department of Defense. He authored the novel "The Orchard Trail," self-published on Kindle. more…

All Douglas J. Gillert poems | Douglas J. Gillert Books

3 fans

Discuss the poem "Rocket Time" with the community...

6 Comments
  • suzib.53754
    With pink glass I retreat to the Shadows
    For the "real" world is too much And knot enough.still knowing our Minds and spirits forge, form something better with every helpful gesture Every strand for Peace for some do have relatives in all countries, and save, safe, the World Family Tree.
    Peaceful vibes and sincere blessings.
    ☯️✌️
     
    LikeReply 11 year ago
  • jerrylogie
    Wake Up World
    Why must we fight
    Why must we die
    Our tears fall for those
    Who can no longer cry
    We keep asking ourselves
    But no one knows why
    As death continues
    To fall from the sky.
    What is it we have
    They so much despise
    Is it just land
    Or is it just lies
    We look to the world
    In desperation we cry
    As death continues
    To fall from the sky
    We hear sirens and screams
    Then all of the cries
    As the TV shows ditches
    Filled up with goodbyes
    A mad- mans dreams
    In a pathetic disguise
    Who sends his hell
    To fall from our skies
    WAKE UP WORLD, OR JUST SAY GOODBYE
     
    LikeReply 11 year ago
  • teril
    Some experiences can never end. Thank you for using your words to effectively paint the picture for us.
    LikeReply 11 year ago
    • VandhukK33
      How the mood feeling goes by.
      LikeReply1 year ago
  • Soulwriter
    Thank you for putting your experience into words for us all to read.
    LikeReply 11 year ago
  • Dougla$Irishman
    A poem of reality, the awfulness of war. The world is dealing with Russia's evil empire and it's sick dictator. Putin. But human suffering is very paramount. !
    LikeReply 22 years ago
  • abielias1
    Sending comfort and affection in these dark times. Your poem captures the fear and anguish of the situation so perfectly.
    LikeReply 32 years ago

Translation

Find a translation for this poem in other languages:

Select another language:

  • - Select -
  • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
  • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Esperanto (Esperanto)
  • 日本語 (Japanese)
  • Português (Portuguese)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Русский (Russian)
  • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
  • 한국어 (Korean)
  • עברית (Hebrew)
  • Gaeilge (Irish)
  • Українська (Ukrainian)
  • اردو (Urdu)
  • Magyar (Hungarian)
  • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
  • Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • தமிழ் (Tamil)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • తెలుగు (Telugu)
  • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
  • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
  • Čeština (Czech)
  • Polski (Polish)
  • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Românește (Romanian)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Ελληνικά (Greek)
  • Latinum (Latin)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Dansk (Danish)
  • Suomi (Finnish)
  • فارسی (Persian)
  • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
  • հայերեն (Armenian)
  • Norsk (Norwegian)
  • English (English)

Citation

Use the citation below to add this poem to your bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"Rocket Time" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/121657/rocket-time>.

Become a member!

Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

March 2024

Poetry Contest

Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
12
days
19
hours
59
minutes

Browse Poetry.com

Quiz

Are you a poetry master?

»
Who wrote the 1916 poem "Out, Out—"?
A Robert Frost
B Elinor Frost
C Robert Browning
D Emily Dickinson