Style for Soldiers

‘He thought of jewelled hilts / for daggers in plaid socks’ Wilfred Owen

On patrol, a legacy mine.
We liked to look smart –
we are soldiers after all –
for us, war is a fine art.

Our radios went down,
gunshot stutters in the night.
The blast beneath my feet,
thrown into the spotlight.

My uniform is styled around me
now I model an ebony cane
to prop up my golden leg.
I pretend to feel the same –

one limb shorter than the other.
The limp will always be there.
Now I’m clothed by Savile Row,
it’s been a funny old year.

It’s been a funny old year;
now I’m clothed by Savile Row.
The limp will always be there –
one limb shorter than the other.

I pretend to feel the same.
To prop up my golden leg
now I model an ebony cane.
My uniform is styled around me.

Thrown into the spotlight –
the blast beneath my feet.
Gunshot stutters in the night
our radios went down.

For us war is a fine art,
we are soldiers after all.
We liked to look smart
on patrol.

***
Note:
This poem is made up of sentences from an article about “Style for Soldiers” in the Sunday Times magazine found on a train in late 2012. At the time I was running writing workshops for homeless and vulnerable adults and collaging was one of the writing exercises I used. Collaging involves composing a poem using words or phrases cut out from an article, or a few articles, to make textual art. (And get covered in PVA glue!) I find quite a lot of magazines abandoned on trains which are very useful for this activity. I love the idea of recycling words and then recycling the remains of the magazine.

If you’d like to learn more about the Style for Soldiers charitable incentive from luxury textiles designer Emma Willis you can click on this link: here.