In Statione by Rod O'Donoghue
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In Statione 1 Copyright © Rod O'Donoghue 2011
Murky mists slide silent over the soft green sea; sun, subdued and stifled, fights to gain his rightful sway again this day; as he slowly, slowly breathes once more upon the ice cold ‘SaxonShore.’2
Proud he stands sentry of the Roman Fort sentry on the Saxon Shore sentry at the Praetorian Gate.
Alert he looks and listens but stress plays games so cruel.
Silent shrieks of gulls asleep resound around his ears.
At night no ship would venture near for fear the fort would wake, such noise the gulls would make.
A slow crescendo of pots and pans of fires and blacksmiths steel, the vici3 to north and west awake, and soon will open the Praetorian Gate4 letting the traders through.
And cold, so cold. Swollen cheeks blow, blow hard against his freezing hands.
He stands, chewing on the greater celandine5 to numb the pain from tooth to toe. Shuffling on his weary bones lest from the ramparts he should fall.
The trumpet sounds.
Othona awakes.
And yet this sound no difference makes; he’ll stand on duty two hours more.
The freezing fog might lift from the sea but not from his bones not from this sentry.
His wife, his children on southern shores of the Mare Nostrum6, warm but alone, when will he see them, if ever again.
They call them Fortenses, the troops of Othona,7 rewarded with title “The Brave”. The bloody battles ravage his mind And the squalls of combat replay each day never going away. These thoughts unkind filled with anger and tears and rage that threatens his mind.
He stands alone eyes dropped down to the icy stones covering the treacherous rampart floor. He breathes in deeply to restore life to his aching body once more.
An angel named Alertness swoops down to pick him up. Not for him the barbarous beating for sleeping exhausted on duty.8
The ta-raa of the trumpet tells him duty’s done and looking up beyond the camp the sun’s begun his run across the skies bright and bold in his fiery chariot of gold, but all the land and sea below stay white and hoary bitter and cold.
1 In Statione means On Sentry Duty
2 The Saxon shore was the area that the Saxons first invaded, principally the south-east coast.
3 A vicus is the smallest unit of Roman settlement. Settlements grew up around and outside forts to trade and have some measure of protection.
4 The Praetorian Gate was the main gate, where the commander of the fort either lived or had his tent.
5 The greater celandine is poisonous but can be used in small doses as a purgative, and the rhizome can be chewed as an analgesic.
6 Mare Nostrum is the usual name for the Mediterranean Sea, sometimes Mare Internum was also used.
7 In the Notitia Dignitarum Othona is spelt Othonae. Othonae is the genitive, or possessive case of Othona.
8 Any Roman soldier caught dozing or sleeping on duty would be beaten to death in front of the whole Garrison.
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