Day 2: Hills and Water

The second day of the Gettysburg battle gave us Devil's Den, Little Round Top, the Peach Orchard, and the Wheatfield. It is the most visited part of the battlefield today. It was a day of confusion and stalemates and rocks. Nothing I do, say or write can convey this.

-1-

Canister and rotten shot
   Pinged off the rocks
   holding blood in pools
(written in Devil's Den, Summer '97)


-2-

What was the 1st Minnesota
           doing in Pennsylvania?
   then, what was anyone doing there
        duty
        fate
  maybe fate
But after the charge on the 2nd
       down the hill
   the colors falling three times
       to be picked up four
  the regiment a penisula
      alone and crazy with war
  though mostly alone
    to fall back on duty
                  honor
 when support
  finally reared its
      glorious head

But William suffered
       twice the loneliness
  first
      as a soldier would
  but after the charge
    alone that night
        to half sleep
   over cries of comrades'
       to live their 
     bloody gargled last breaths
  to the next morning
    when he buried his
          brother by halves
   separated by a shell
   and a full measure of devotion
       each half facing the enemy
           in life
           as in death
       each half      ...
 william buried his brother by halves
       my God,
                  by halves
(written in New Berlin, Winter '98)



-3-

The guests of Spangler's Spring
     on the night of the second
  fought for their lives
               over water
 and killed to drink it
            to have it years later
   reduced to stories of
      canteen exchange
         and friendly words
            to enemy strangers
But it was cursing
     and potshots all night
 killing and dying for water
     to realize the futility of war
  and the horrible beauty of life
(written in New Berlin, Winter '98)

Go to:
Even in Summer home page
Day 1: Of Shoes and Disregard
Day 3: A Copse of Words