Village Life during Wartime

by John Grey / August 8th, 2026

These kids could splash in the river forever
or, further upstream, drop a line into its waters.
They don’t give a damn for politics.
Their lives seldom stray beyond the
makeshift playgrounds of the village.
The old men are caught up in their card games,
or the slappy percussion of a dominoes duel.
The young girls chatter among themselves.
or work beside their mothers.
The young men tend to the crops
in unvaryingly steamy sunlight.
There is no talk of sedition.
Nobody volunteers for martyrdom.
The jungle – it breathes beyond the edge,
where men with guns chase shadows.
They may pass through, take what they need,
but they will not find the village.
It is not hidden.
It is simply not on history’s map.

John Grey is an Australian poet, US resident, recently published in New World Writing, River And South and Dissident Voice. Latest books, Bittersweet, Subject Matters and Between Two Fires are available through Amazon. Work upcoming in Paterson Literary Review, White Wall Review and Cantos. Read other articles by John.

This article was posted on Saturday, August 8th, 2026 at 8:00am and is filed under Poetry.