Simon Armitage told The Guardian newspaper that the BBC is in negotiations with the Ministry of Defence regarding a project that would take him to Afghanistan. Documenting the poet’s visit, the BBC hopes to revive Britain’s legacy of war poetry.
Armitage’s 2008 collection The Not Dead focuses on soldiers who fought in the Gulf War, Bosnia and Malaysia but he didn’t witness the fighting first-hand.
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Some Veterans
At times the mask slips, a face so different now exposed.
Then the true nature of the man is shown, alone afraid and opposed
Always hiding behind the facade, protection for his own sanity
Living in shadows in the open, dreaming of one day being free
No exposure to the danger, alert for the trigger that breaks the wall
A barrier built over years, to keep out what would make him fall
The ignorance of others not surprising, a secret so very well kept
He hides behind his false mask, it never protected whenever he slept
Will there be a day it come down, time he needs it no more
Will the horrors always be constantly there, waves eroding a shore?
This is the life that is lead by many, hidden from the past that they fear
There is the reason why, you will find they are hard to get near
For some Veterans it is simply survival, no attempt to shove you away
This is a perfectly normal action, simply a part of some Veterans day
Think ahead when you meet them, be aware they may not be open to you
Not because of disrespect or hate, just something they may have to do