Close Enough
No pain, at least, not yet,
As searching fingers skim hot steel,
And blisters form unnoticed in his haste.
Each move is made instinctively;
He will not lose him now…
No time to think it through, no time to waste.
~0~
A glove, a hand…his hand;
He grasps it firmly, won't let go.
Pulls steadily and feels the burden lift;
Shuts out what's fast approaching,
Uses all the strength he has
To wrench him free as girders strain and shift.
~0~
There's clear and present danger,
As the structure starts to tilt,
And solid wood's transformed to ash and flame.
He shakes his dazed companion,
Hauls him roughly to his feet,
Supports his swaying form, calls out his name.
~0~
Then, step by careful step,
They move at far too slow a pace;
Safe ground appears a thousand miles away.
A scuffle, florid cursing,
Now another's at their side.
Despite the rising peril; here he'll stay.
~0~
They move, spurred on by fear,
Of what might overtake their flight,
As strut on strut transforms to burning torch;
And tempered metal twists,
As cross beams crack and split and fall,
And smoke sears lungs and blazing timbers scorch.
~0~
They almost reach their goal,
The point where viaduct meets earth,
One stumbles, jolts the tracks, and starts to slip.
Two pairs of hands, no…three…
Reach out, restore him to his feet.
A reassuring strength, a steadfast grip.
~0~
They're up and off the bridge,
And under cover, out of sight;
The last remaining span burns through, lets go,
To join the mangled wreckage of the train,
The rails, the bridge,
Now scattered on the river bed below.
~0~
A moment to recover from
Their brief intense ordeal;
To check on wounds acquired, and catch their breath.
A fuse lit prematurely
By a random friction spark;
A race to challenge fate; snatch life from death.
~0~
Soft oaths in rapid French resume;
To curse a swollen knee;
The Brit helps out, despite his damaged hand.
The somewhat dazed tech sergeant
Walks in silence at their side,
Watched over by their second in command.
~0~
The light of dawn is evident,
As black's infused with grey;
And four head home, cocooned in forest shade.
The mission is successful,
All objectives carried out,
Harsh lessons learned regarding plans best laid.
~0~
They make it back by roll call;
Drop through stump, reach empty bunks.
The night has been, to put it mildly…tough.
One friend, quite irreplaceable,
Retrieved against the odds;
Scant seconds from disaster…
Close enough.
~0~