When death is closer than home..."It's a long way to Tipperary"

Each knew his fate... With the 11th of the 11th looming time to give this oldie an airing

"Its a long way to Tipperary..."

A single voice the silence pierced
to drift through cordite air,
to rise above the clouds of death
forlorn, tinged with despair.

"Its a long way to go..."

Along the trench more voices joined
a choir now on death row,
ironic that they sang of home
for their fate they all did know.

"Its a long way to Tipperary..."

Across the mire where no man lived
o'er blood and stench and gore,
their song fell onto enemy
and through each heart it tore.

"to the sweetest girl I know..."

They'd be no winners in this war
only those that better fared,
a whole generations blooming youth
wars horror brutally pared.

"goodbye Piccadily..."

The brave who sang that fateful day
brothers, fathers, uncles, sons,
would perish going "over the top"
Scythed down by chattering guns.

"Farewell Leicester square..."

Now fields abloom with blood red flowers
blue skies, and larks on high,
remember the wanton sacrifice
of those that came to fight and die.

"Its a long, long, way to Tipperary,
but my heart's right there"

Reviews

[Julie McCarthy (juliesp..]

Love this
So clever
I really think this captures first and second world wars

[Gee]

Thank you kindly

[DIVYA]

I just love this poem, like a song and I love the chorus line. In its pathos and story it reminds me so much of the Ameriican Civil War and my favorite book 'Gone with the wind'.

[Gee]

Probably telling you something you already know, "Its a long way to Tipperary" was a music hall favourite during world war one and , I think, was adopted by the troops as a favourite song.
Thank you Divya

[DIVYA]

You are welcome :)

[Poetic Beauty]

War is bloody and brutal. Many die for what they believe is right. This sums it up very well and the imagery conveys the thought of this piece.

[Gee]

Thank you Beauty

[Island Hippy]

Aloha Gee, this is devastatingly sad and beautiful. As I moved along the trench it is thick with uncertainty of young boys thrust into battle. The song a symbol of comfort. Leading each verse with a line from the song, creates a great sense of atmosphere. Izzy

[Gee]

Thank you Izzy

[BBP]

I really loved this one. You managed to take the reader right to the battlefield. I love how you integrated the song so perfectly.

Really awesome write here.

[Gee]

Thanks Bev..

[Ana Papaya]

Beautifully written Gee. Lots of heavy hearts today.

[Gee]

Indeed, a sobering day for all. However on a lighter note it is my beautiful daughters 16 th birthday today...... Thank you

[Coyote Poetry]

World war one. A bloody war.
"Now fields abloom with blood red flowers,
blue skies, and larks on high,
remember the wanton sacrifice,
of those that came to fight and die........ "
It is sad we forgot the old wars. The lesson of war should teach us to seek peace. It didn't. Thank you Gee for sharing the amazing poetry.
Coyote

[Gee]

Aye, man will never learn. Thank you Coyote

[Coyote Poetry]

I agree my friend and you are welcome.

[D Connolly]

So, I had to shed a few tears at this. Haunting and lovely. I like the story you've told. I love poetry that tells a story and doesn't make me guess at the meaning behind the words. This is so sad!

[Gee]

Thank you DC

[Lorry]

So very true and excellently worded. No winners, just lots of families broken apart and left to pick up the pieces. Love how you break each verse with the song, works brilliantly. Superb write.

[Gee]

Thank you kind sir, I will return the favour when home from site

[emmajoy]

This is utterly sadly beautiful... Although this war is 'merely' history to me, I've always found it to be the ugliest and most cruel.. so many men died, so many families left mourning for years and under the shadow of that song.. It'a near enough an anthem.. sets the spine tingling. What you've done here is very touching, using those lines before each of your own stanzas.

Have you ever seen the show.. or more so, the movie of Oh what a lovely war? Belonged to a Film Club at uni and saw many movies I'd never choose to see yet have never forgotten, that is one.. the final scenes are heartbreaking. Each and every one of your words is memorable but these are - precious..

'Now fields abloom with blood red flowers,
blue skies, and larks on high,
remember the wanton sacrifice,
of those that came to fight and die........ '

[Gee]

Got to say I'm gob smacked when I receive reviews such as this. Left school with very few poor graded qualifications and consider what I write to be simple rhyming verse using very basic language. I often wish I had the language skills of you and many others on here. Thank you kindly for such a kind review.

[emmajoy]

You have what hundreds or more do not have: an instinctive ability to do... whatever your imagination and mind dictates at a given time. Phooey to formality.. :)

[Gee]

I will remember that. Thank you kindly