Tiger Tank

Dreams of immolation,

My black tunic has caught fire,

Nothing of burning passion,

Nor of smouldering desire,

Came a colossal explosion,

In searing pain I cry,

Everyone else is dead,

As the flames dance to my thigh,

The hatches cannot move,

I am wide eyed with panic,

I'm screaming to the dead,

In a tank that has gone manic,

No escape, I wince,

The searing heat is now intense,

I am burning, burning alive,

And there is no recompense,

I bolt awake caked in sweat,

Before the crucifix should soar,

A recurring nightmare is this,

Of a past life lost in war.

David Vitali 2017.