Nurse says it’s in me blood now. The rust. Not much for it. It’s everywhere. The wire, the armour, the guns. All across the lines. Soaking into the trenches. Now it's in me. Us. A whole ward of people with rusty blood. I can feel it spreading in my veins, itchy at first, then grating, clawing. They say they’re gonna scour us with electricity. Burn back the rust. But I’ve seen what happens to the lads who go to the shock room. What comes out. Not men, but husks.
Paddy Dobson
2nd October 2024