Poems of Peace: Felicity Teague, "In Pace"

In Pace [In Peace]

VE Day, 2025

The garden gathering has just begun,

we notice, once we’re through the flats’ front door;

the chatter’s started too. They’re having fun,

the neighbours, who’ve enjoyed the prep. No chore,

to tie a flag around the oldest tree –

the cedar – then to fix the festive lines

of bunting round the beeches. Finally,

the table’s set, dolled up well past the nines,

but we’re en route to hospital again –

some battles cannot end. And there’s a ghost

still lingering, an airman on a plane

that never soared beyond the British coast –

malfunctioning mid-air, before the war,

it crashed down. RIP, Great-Uncle George.