The End of June
Days such as those are wholly symbolic
I know that, also I suppose
Vicksburg matters more
In terms of the trigonometry of war;
But a historian who did not dare
To share all his mind on camera
Asked, what young fella
Had not dreamed it through again?
Waiting under the stacked trees
Before disaster's stick,
With Virginia, all Virginia there
Defying the blueprint fire...
Had not dreamed I say
A renactment, a replay, a different day:
To circumnavigate at night
Or feigning an attack, by sleight
March and then attack their Washington-
A third Manassas, scores of ways
To counterfact, spare lives,
Save St Andrew's cause,
Speaking symbolically of this and later wars
Dreaming the springing beast thrashed back
In 1863 the end of June.
Instead the truth as hard as steel traps:
slumped hopes, contracted shame,
Trees felled, demeaning cries for bread and blame.
We may recuperate as we may be
And each not blaming, reclaim in a way
Letting no personal grief overthrow
Nor time not grind
The less more grief
Of the End of June
Of 1863.
I know that, also I suppose
Vicksburg matters more
In terms of the trigonometry of war;
But a historian who did not dare
To share all his mind on camera
Asked, what young fella
Had not dreamed it through again?
Waiting under the stacked trees
Before disaster's stick,
With Virginia, all Virginia there
Defying the blueprint fire...
Had not dreamed I say
A renactment, a replay, a different day:
To circumnavigate at night
Or feigning an attack, by sleight
March and then attack their Washington-
A third Manassas, scores of ways
To counterfact, spare lives,
Save St Andrew's cause,
Speaking symbolically of this and later wars
Dreaming the springing beast thrashed back
In 1863 the end of June.
Instead the truth as hard as steel traps:
slumped hopes, contracted shame,
Trees felled, demeaning cries for bread and blame.
We may recuperate as we may be
And each not blaming, reclaim in a way
Letting no personal grief overthrow
Nor time not grind
The less more grief
Of the End of June
Of 1863.