some hushed fug of later days

where it dies already as though before his intent
he laughed at what would later crimp inward as evenly
and accurately coming like afternoon shadows
that weaving women under firelight
would yet though many of them had left
at such earliest bells those who remained
appearing awkward their movements set
to gain mechanism upon some galvanic episode
quite unimaginable to most
spectators all of them anyway suddenly
devastatingly such words anyway bereft

of shattering artillery all who survived
stunned and deaf some now all
but incapable of the most simple
decisions or activity clearly imperative
to get them all out quickly before they breathed again
though this process was resisted on all sides and here
now even the best amongst us
struggled to carry them to the dedicated transports
in such clothes as we had then

always, in such early days of acceptance,
some deep hushed fug after the moment
.
.
.