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

[Robert Parlange]

Beautifully done. Describes the folly of war in a unique style.
It reminds me of a TV movie called “My Son Jack.” It tells of Kipling's only son and his death in WWI.
Your poem tells a good “story.”

[Gee]

Thank you Robert

[Philip Muls]

Describes the horrors of war while contrasting with the cheerful song. Well done.

[Gee]

Thank you Philip.....

[Lydia Shutter]

It's wonderful how you injected the lyrics of the song between your stanzas. They might have been singing as they went to war, but they were not going to a dance, were they? Nope, no winners in wars. Young lives ended far too soon and young minds changed forevermore from the horrors they see. Powerfully emotive write. Lydi**

[Gee]

Thanks Lydia for your kind words

[andrew mitchell]

Brilliant write Gee What horrors must they have witnessed so young.

[Gee]

Doesn't bear thinking about.Cheers mate

[Valentine]

My husband's 2nd cousin was the Sgt. Alvin C. York the WW1 movie was made about. He got to see him in the hospital when he was a kid before Sgt. York passed away. Valentine

[Gee]

The family must have been very proud.Thanks Kathie

[ANTO]

The image of that single trembling voice rising to a defiant chorus of doomed youth is brilliant Gee.
I can see/feel/hear the ghosts of the men in the fields of poppies towards the end and you close this so very poignantly with the final couplet. A masterful, moving piece of poetry if ever there was one and timely too.

[Gee]

Cheers mate,great review and comments.

[ANTO]

Good morning matey. My pleasure. This hit a few resonant chords with me because I belonged to a back n white minstrel troupe as a bairn and 'Tipperary was always the finishing number' and my fav poets are the WW I war poets, Sassoon and Owen. I hope you have a great day Gee.


Hey, what about that Japan team eh? Let's see of it was a fluke today...

[ANTO]

*black n white minstrel troupe I meant

[Gee]

You too my friend

[Terry O'Leary]

Excellent poem in every way... rhyme, flow, originality and most importantly, sentiment!

[Gee]

Cheers Terry,thanks fir your kind words

[A.marie.speaks]

i thought this was lovely and heart wrenching. very well written.

[Gee]

Thank you kindly

[W.k.kortas]

While I'm not sure I agree with the assertion of the prior reviewer that this piece could not be written without a rhyme scheme, it's certainly a very effective device, giving the piece something of a music-hall feel which helps place it in its time. The pacing and rhyme scheme are handled quite nicely; it's a very strong piece.

[Gee]

It is good that we all differ in opinions,what a boring place otherwise eh?Thank you for reading and reviewing it is appreciated.Cheers

[daninstockholm]

i read so many poems written in meter and rhyme that are, well, not perfectly executed, but this one is!! There is NO POSSIBLE WAY that this could have been written in any other form without a gross diminution of effect or beauty, A superb example of how to still, in these times, write poems in meter and make it work... Fabulous!!

Having said all that,, the subject and story are close to my heart and you do them beautiful justice! I am on the battlefields, the smell of gunpowder, the overhwelming sense of doom,,

[Gee]

Thank you Dan, great comments and review.Much appreciated.