11.

Antietam, Maryland

They sat around fires
the night before engaging
being prodded
to their highest hours
by figures they saw
on orange tongues
of dancing desire
thrusting flickering forks
at their secure dens
of cowardice and fear,
and they revelled in
that seduction.

Until weakness would curl in
over them
in the lulls between
and bury their boldest
affirmations
in tides of dark portents
as to the morrow
with the lines breaking
the flash of bayonets
against September sun,
the crash headlong or crumpled
on moistened soil
while all around
the tumult, the pounding of hooves
the swish of flags
crescendoing,
and then
the slow cessation of sound.


from: Along the Way : Collected Poems (http://geocities.com/clcing/4.html)
http://geocities.com/clcing/CLC4.jpg

One thing I don't understand is: why the above creation is called poem? It looks like near rhymeless accumulation of words. Probably, it's a modern English language thing.

Thank you for the link, Charles- poetry that is vivid, pithy, well-crafted, well worth savoring.

One thing I don't understand is: why the above creation is called poem? It looks like near rhymeless accumulation of words. Probably, it's a modern English language thing.

rhyming is not a requirement to be called poetry but I see what you are saying. There is a fine line between poetry and prose.