Between the Lines

By John Aldred

Between the lines lie
Shell holes
Between the lines lie
Dead souls
From the military lines
To the "In Memoriam Scrolls"
Lie 
Lost goals.

Between the lines lie
Lies
Between the lines lies
Space
Between lies and space
Lies thought
Between lies and space and thought
Lies sweat
Which is wet.
You drown in the wet
You die between lines
Written to disguise
The diplomatic goodbyes.

You learn the political art
Between lines
Where white becomes grey
Where truth becomes moulded
Beliefs are quietly folded
Between the lines.

Make of it what you will
It's hard
To write between the lines
To draw breath
At the life and death
Between the lines.

Copyright © 1999 John Aldred