The Ghost Captain

Gentle is the ghost behind the command -
Marching a memory
Of heartbeats
Lingering where earth would meet
Percussive feet
In polished shoes

And masked face -
Sharp instruction fills 
The space
Where pacing 
Won't outpace the past -
Gentle is the ghost behind the command 
When the Last Post shouts into another realm
Of night, quiet, silent thoughts
Louder is the order, then
Yet soft as the soil,
Tapped in tandem
When there was another,
And control felt closer.
Gentle is the ghost behind the command -
The old clock chimes
See-through secrets 
Under the
Sound. 

C. LJ Ireton 2023