From Beyond the Blue

(Letters WWII) Part 1
By Grace and Soul

John:
My Dearest, I hope this letter reaches You safely
I captive, heart missing you enforced to march
I drink from wallow of the buffalo seeing heads roll
as samurai swords take out weakened or slow.
Do you know Dearest O how much dirt has passed
in a trek sweat all the bloody way to Balanga?
My tears pour as we surrendered have no honour
beasts of burden, crawling in dashed hope of home again
where You my eyes may sparkle in a midnight dance
the only good war of who's on top, finger tips the only
walker

Jane:
John the night draws nigh
Here I am writing to you again
No letters, no pen, no sighs of love
Nor affirmations from you
The candles flickers in the wind
As my tears roll down my chin
Are you inhaling my breath?
As I call your name in this dark night…
My cousin Will came home today
Wan beneath his tan, he lost his legs

John:
O Jane bring me home again
can you feel my thoughts on you
tell it true, San Fernando
corralled to car sick and starved
my baby...so far so far
who thought heat could feel so cold
blue, aches in my hazed hearing
whisper kisses lost curling
stings your name, singe my skin
Sweet Darln' keep me the trains a rollin'

Jane:
I dreamt of you last night
You spoke my name
Your smile was sweet yet sad
God forbid, you be taken by them
the people of the rising sun
persevere my love and return
defy them, puny people they are
I hate them now even my friend
Sizuka…our neighbour Suzy
The war, has torn us asunder

John:
My will spills limp
drudging along this boxcar cramp
feted trail morose load
led out to a stop called Capas
Jane...they say we must walk again
muscle knots punch barely stepping left leg
drift in miss my Janie’s hair
wear down brothers cling
lean push one another
I still remember her scent like roses

Jane:
Mrs Miller and Mrs Smith
got news today
Jimmy dead in Borneo
In Malaya, Gerry a prisoner of war
Fuels for my fears and tears
Constant now within my heart
let death not be your fate
its not for you
I breath thus you shall too
Our fate lies within your smiles

John:
Dripping rice of O'Donnell
harsh hasty handful ballyhoo
keeps our linger over
ghosts in constant head roll
out back in a deep hole dug
fell Doug while burying brothers
covered still breathing alive between others
they turned off our water, infractions again
said we were loud so many cry out
Will any of us see freedoms reach embracing  

Jane:
No news, my love, no letters?
Where are you, my own?
Baby kicks against this womb
Shall he know not you, John?
More news for grieving mothers
Sons dead on railway labours
Husbands flung in foreign land
Buried unmarked on strange soils
Burning on air in bursting glory
Glory to freedom...yet dusts in our eyes?

John:
Everyday more men coming in
everyday thinning crowd taken out
as I breathe shallow breath
rot reeks filling air
Billy says the islands folded up
no way to save her 'cept in prayer
but now I bow only
to the Jap holding power
where blade and his gun
reduced us, one by one.


*The atrocities of war and its effect on individuals has been a topic spoken about and discussed for a long time. We can only imagine how it was for those who suffered. Reading, creative writing and imagination helped us through this collab. Thank you for reading.*