Horrors of war

No man's land 

No man's land were invaded

Been explained and raided,

in a war,

Material things were displaced,

Into the thin air,

Immaterial got swung,

But women's tragedies slipped,

Long ago from being penned.

-Prachi Sharma

This is about the horrors of war and the plight of women.

The first line, “No man’s land were invaded” suggests that the poem is set in a war zone, where the term “no man’s land” refers to the area between the opposing trenches that is dangerous and disputed.

The second line, “Been explained and raided” implies that the war has been justified and exploited by some parties, who have taken advantage of the situation for their own interests.

The third line, “in a war” confirms the theme of the poem and sets the tone of conflict and violence.

The fourth line, “material things were displaced” describes the loss and destruction of physical objects and possessions due to the war. This could also refer to the displacement of people who have been forced to flee their homes and lands.

The fifth line, “into the thin air” creates a contrast between the material and the immaterial, and suggests that the things that were displaced have vanished or become insignificant.

The sixth line, “immaterial got swung” introduces a new element of the poem, which is the immaterial or abstract aspects of war, such as emotions, values, beliefs, etc. The verb “swung” implies that these aspects have been changed or manipulated by the war, or that they have been used as weapons or tools in the war.

The seventh line, “but women’s tragedies got slipped” reveals the main focus of the poem, which is the plight of women in war. The word “but” indicates a contrast or exception to the previous lines, and suggests that women’s sufferings are different from or more than those of men. The word “slipped” implies that women’s tragedies have been ignored, forgotten, or silenced by history or society.

The eighth line, “long ago from being penned” reinforces the idea that women’s tragedies have not been recorded or recognized by anyone. The word “penned” could also imply that women have not been given a voice or a chance to express their own experiences and perspectives.

©Prachi Sharma 

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