indebted
Tim sold cards on market stalls,
ordinary greetings cards,
nothing controversial.
It was a quiet life
and he liked it.

Once his life had been exciting,
much too exciting.
In the Second World War
as a fighter pilot
he was shot down in Albania.
Lying injured in the wreck
he thought his end had come,
until out of the darkness
a small group of men appeared.

He learned their names later,
Enver Hoxha was their leader.
Insurgents we’d call them today
but then they were The Resistance,
later they were to be The Government.

Everything changes

They carried him to safety
across inhospitable terrain
and over the next few weeks
as they nursed him back to health
they all became good friends
though language should have prevented 
the exchange of stories and politics
he learned enough,

enough to speak highly of them
for the rest of his life
even though no one else did.

He’d been there, you see
and knew that he owed them.
They were allies then,
on ‘our’ side.

Everything changes.

Lynn White lives in north Wales. Her work is influenced by issues of social justice and events, places and people she has known or imagined. She is especially interested in exploring the boundaries of dream, fantasy and reality. She has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, Best of the Net and a Rhysling Award. Find Lynn at: lynn white poetry and facebook