The Radium Girls

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Kenneth2816
Posts: 1619
Joined: 01 Jun 2008, 09:17

The Radium Girls

#1 Post by Kenneth2816 » 05 Oct 2018, 21:07

Once was a question
We never asked.
It was a job needed doing.
There was a war on.

We worked at night
to better see the dials
and watch face,tipped
camel hair to our lips
to make a fine point.

Painted luminescent
hands and Roman
numerals on altimeters,
tipped iron gunsights,
color of old moonlight.

For the boys in France
plugged in some ditch
or bunker behind the
Hindenburg Line.

A hundred years their
ghosts have ranged
Flanders Field and
Bellaue Wood on the Marne.

We are the beacon,
the light of home,
and beckon mildly
them to come mingle
with our bones.

Our lips are warm,
the radium girls
still glowing in our graves

BobBradshaw
Posts: 2683
Joined: 03 Jun 2016, 21:03

Re: The Radium Girls

#2 Post by BobBradshaw » 06 Oct 2018, 07:59

Those last 2 stanzas are haunting. The entire poem works beautifully. Kudos again...you’re on a remarkable roll...a pleasure to read your wide ranging work

Kenneth2816
Posts: 1619
Joined: 01 Jun 2008, 09:17

Re: The Radium Girls

#3 Post by Kenneth2816 » 12 Oct 2018, 20:50

Thank you Bob for the kind words

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Billy
Posts: 1384
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 10:56

Re: The Radium Girls

#4 Post by Billy » 13 Oct 2018, 05:28

Yes, good poem, I can't see anywhere at this moment of reading it to make any suggestions to make it better.

BobBradshaw
Posts: 2683
Joined: 03 Jun 2016, 21:03

Re: The Radium Girls

#5 Post by BobBradshaw » 13 Oct 2018, 09:27

The warm lips is a great touch. The last 2 stanzas are just haunting....they leave an unnerving but lovely afterglow for the reader

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