Weapons Handling

“Rifle firing alright,

rifle stops,”

in the smoke and cordite

cock, hook and look.

Rounds in the enemy;

“no rounds in the chamber”.

Improvised,

it just means home-made,

we hide,

behind un-natural cover,

a low wall, pock-marked

by their bullets and ours.

Explosive,

it means scattered limbs

and screaming.

“Magazine off!”

pat pockets, panic.

Devices:

small machines of death

or changers of life and limb.

“Magazine on!

Clear ye springs,

carry on firing!”

Not caught out

by the safety catch

this time.