In the most distinguished tradition

As some of you will undoubtedly recall, back in October of 2008, we at The Torch took notice of Canadian war poet Suzanne Steele and the fascinating work she was doing to chronicle our soldiers' experiences. We've since discussed her efforts here and here.

It's encouraging to see at least one denizen of the establishment media is now also taking notice of Ms. Steele's unique brand of poetry:

"Oh, the soldiers were suspicious -- I don't think they knew what to make of me at first," said Steele.

She remembers sitting in a jeep one night on exercise in Alberta as an NCO questioned just what she was doing there.

Already picking up the thick skin and profane diction of the soldiers, she fired back a question about what was the most famous war art in Canadian history.

"The sergeant-major started guessing various statues or paintings, and there was a major in the front seat of the G-wagon and I could see his shoulders start to shake from laughing as he listened -- he knew what I was going to say," Steele recalled.

"I told him it's something that every child in Canada knows at least a line of -- In Flander's Fields. Which is a poem."

BZ to Kingston's Ian Elliot for writing this piece and bringing more attention to a valuable contribution to our national record of this conflict.

You can read more of Ms. Steele's work at warpoet.ca. Here's one tidbit on her blog that got to me:

6 months later I flew into KAF with next-of-kin. the Herc’s cargo of soldiers heading into country more silent than at a funeral. (at funerals they sometimes weep, their tanned necks bent forward, their rocking from one leg to the other, witness to A’stan)

the one sitting next to me on that flight held my hand so tight as we came in for our combat-landing I could feel our pulses through his leather gloves.

he leaned towards me, “write something so my kids will remember me if I don’t come home.” and I haven’t forgotten. I will.

Bless her.

* * * * *

On a barely related note, our war poet comments on the "too much luxury at KAF" brouhaha we touched upon recently (warning: soldierly language at her link):

our man in KAF just wrote to tell me that today is a sad day in KAF…YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST Pizza Hut, Burger King and Subway are all closing tonight. and while this may seem slightly amusing to us here, over there I’ve seen the look on soldiers’ faces as they bite into their first bit of non-army food, esp. after being outside the wire for months, and it’s not just junk food their consuming, it’s a taste of home. a taste of normal.

Bingo.