Airframe starts to rock and yaw
Rising into the hot afternoon
Men pressed together
Crammed against the metal hull
Deafened by roar of blades overhead
Weapons inverted, muzzles to floor
Running through mental checklists
SOPs and actions-on
Through the opposite window I can just discern
The mangroves of Africa below
Reality breaks my reverie
"Two minutes", the shout goes up
The twin engined monster pitches left and right
Banking to descend
Catch eyes with a mate
A look of reassurance, nod of the head
Land with a jolt, men disgorging
"We're in contact already!"
Seatbelt unbuckled, I am out of my seat
Running down the ramp
Mental note to stay 'switched on'
Journey into the unknown
Colchester
February 2002
YOU ARE READING
Danger Close
PoetryA short collection of modern war poetry 1995 - 2014 Highly personal, this short anthology draws on the writer's experiences as a soldier and officer of the British Army in conflict zones in Europe, Africa, Iraq and Afghanistan. Although, the major...
