By Eric Sarner

Sweet ma'
you'll believe me no doubt
each salvo tugs at my hair
each salvo at my breast
in this shell hole
I can only write to you
in my mind
your blue apron
how much I loved to hear
the chant of the cicadas
sorrowful ma'
I can see nothing
so dry my throat
full of smoke.
The muddy mud.
It smells of urine
and moldy bread.
At night the rats even 
eat our clothes.
Winter.
Poor horses dying.
I need you
blood is spurting
from the sky.
Walking on 
bits of meat.
My trousers
wet inside.

Need you Ma'
only you

MA' !

VERDUN
Poème pour un livre d'artiste avec Maria Desmée, artiste plasticienne. 2024

Version française

Petite maman
Tu me croiras toi
Chaque salve me prend aux cheveux
Chaque salve à la poitrine
Dans ce trou d’obus
Je ne peux t’écrire que dans ma tête
Ton tablier bleu
Comme j’aimais le chant des cigales
Maman malheureuse
Je ne vois rien
La gorge sèche pleine de fumée.
La boue boueuse, ça sent l’urine 
Et le pain moisi
La nuit les rats mangent même
Les vêtements. L’hiver.
Pauvres chevaux morts
J’ai besoin de toi
Le sang gicle du ciel
Marcher sur des morceaux de viande.
Mon pantalon mouillé tout dedans.
Besoin que de toi, maman !

MAMAN !!!

The Importance of Arts, Culture & The Creative Process</b><br> We’d love to hear your thoughts on the importance of the arts and humanities and how this project resonates with you.

Culture in general is the most essential element in the CONSTANT development of the human being, from the beginning to the end.

What was the inspiration for your creative work?

Sharing with others what I receive from life

Tell us something about the natural world that you love and don’t wish to lose. What are your thoughts on the kind of world we are leaving for the next generation?

What we could leave to the next generations (if we do not move right now) is just a SHAME

Eric Sarner is a French poet, writer and journalist working in various fields : poetry (latest collection : "Sugar et autres poèmes", 2021, Poésie/Gallimard; "Cœur chronique", 2013, Ed. Castor astral (Prix Max Jacob 2014); travel writing (latest book : "Regarde par la fenêtre, 2017", Ed. Akinomé 
For TV, he directed about twenty documentary reports on various subjects, mainly cultural (latest production : "Sénac, Jean, Algérien, poète", 2010 and The Ravishsment of Palmyra in 2015
Eric Sarner lives in Sète (France).