Alice Corbin Henderson’s short, chant-like piece takes you right to the edge of a battlefield, just after the violence has ended. Across a river, in that same repeated phrase, lies the scene of the fight. The focus stays entirely on the women who must cross over and clean up the wreckage. They carry a heavy load in their blanket, hoisted on a shoulder—an image that suggests not just physical weight but an enormous emotional burden. The lines refuse to vary, insisting that this is what war leaves behind for the women: a harvest of wounded and dead to be gathered up while wailing in grief. The speaker doesn’t step in to explain; instead, the bare, rhythmic repetition creates a quiet, mournful ritual. The mood is heavy with sorrow, almost hushed, as if we’re watching a slow procession of loss that never really ends.
Where the Fight Was — Summary
In the place where the fight was Across the river, In the place where the fight was Across the river:
A heavy load for a woman To lift in her blanket, A heavy load for a woman To carry on her shoulder.
In the place where the fight was Across the river, In the place where the fight was Across the river:
The women go wailing To gather the wounded, The women go wailing To pick up the dead.