By Steve Real

Silence!
or am I having a nightmare?
It's not sunrise.
And nobody sleeps here
I don't believe,
I am dreaming

Singing!
do I hear Singing?
Is that Silent Night?

my hands shake
my wife
where is she?

"Captain,
do you hear that?"
my frozen mud soldier speaks

"Yes, I do..."

"It's Silent Night, Sir" he
says bewilder

"Yes,
I believe it is"

The morning Sun rose up
like a hammer
hitting the battlefield
blinding all eyes
with Grace!

"Sergeant!"
I yell to him impatiently,
because inside
I could feel it
coming!

"Yes Captain von Schiller ,"
the mud soldier says
shielding his eyes

"Hoffman still has that football,
doesn't he?"

My mud infant is confused
he opens his eye again
and sees
for the first time.
he knows now
this was not a joke.

"Yes Captain,"
"I believe Karl does."

It is
for real
He knows

2.
The English doctor
Colonel Richard Thompson
was educated at Cambridge
and receive his doctorate in Vienna.
His roommate at medical school
was Erich Kilhelm, from Cologne,
my best friend
who introduce Richard
to my sister Hilda.

Richard joined the 133rd Saxon Regiment
shortly after his wedding to Hilda.
It was a great party,
the Thompson's were
good people.

But now...
Here...
I do not know this man

His face,
his body
his soul
had all changed.

Richard lit up a room
when he walk in.
Everyone found Richard
easy to love.
He brought enough life in
for everybody.

but Richard had left that world
years ago
He survives now
on fear,
terror,
and murder,
like the rest of us.

Existing only
for his wife and child.
Who will never know
the real Richard again.
He is lost
and not to be found.

3.
I went over the top
and
stood there
feeling the bad
with flag in hand

my heart
felt the Black Watch
sniper aim
but the trigger did not pull

No one said anything
Everyone knew
What this was about.
Nothing happen
as I walked
the icy field
to the half way mark.

Richard stood up on parapet
alone
He made
his way
before me

"Would you like a cigarette Friedrich?"
Dick said

No-man's land
is a strange place
to meet your brother in-law

"Yeah
I'd like that"
haven't having
one in weeks
I was ready

"It's a Marlboro"
he said with a smile
"Really?"
they were my favorites
and we didn't have Marlboro here
for a very longtime

Richard got hysterical
we laughed together
but it stop
as strange
as it started

Dick look to me
"Friedrich,
the holy man wants a group burial
do you have any problems with that?"

"No Dick
I would like that"
He really didn't have to ask
We really didn't have to talk
We knew why
We were here.
"Well Dick
are you going my christmas football game?"

Christmas Football?

4.
The brothers worked quietly
and layed all the men
neatly in a row
sad
no one said any thing
we all knew
what was there to be said.

Father Sebastian
bless the boys
shovels of earth filled in
around my brothers
who lay
twisted in horror
frozen in pain

5.
It was strange
the sky was clear
and a million stars could be seen

What kind of beer is this?

I don't know
I've never heard of it?
It's called Stella Artoris

It's good
Grab as many cases as you can find

6.
Father Sebastian
played football
like a heathen celtic beserker
"Raaah!"

"Get him Johnny!
He's fast!"

Father Sebastian's speed
was legendary
he played college ball in Berlin
for many years
he was invited to go pro
in Manchester
before he heard the calling

Sebastian kick the football hard
it flew in past the Tommies
a moment of hush
took over the boys
as the ball slip pass
the defenders fingers

"Score!"
yelled Karl
and the boys lit up in song.

"Stella Artoris?"
I thought priests didn't drink?

7.
Captain Friedrich von Schiller,
what were you thinking?
A football game with the English?
This is a war!