For King and country

The glory of war !!!

On the first night he prayed to his God,
cried for his mother,
counted stars in the late December sky
as a hoarfrost coated him white.
Dawn brought fresh hope of discovery,
voices carried on still air lifting his spirits
but nobody came.
As day light faded into another dusk, then night,
he spoke with his dead father,
kissed his wife and children goodbye,
sat as a small boy on his mother's lap, loved, safe,
as she stroked his hair, humming him into eternal sleep.

They found him 2 days later in the crater of a shell,
eyes wide open, frozen.

Reviews

[Annette Pisano-Higley]

So true Gee- Vain-glory for the power mongers and bloody death for the poor pawns. Deeply moving words.

[Gee]

Thank you Annette

[emmajoy]

Today I helped prepare for our attendance at our village memorial and the brief in-church service afterwards. There were twelve of us: different ages and backgrounds but possibly having similar thoughts and emotions already alert to what and how tomorrow will bring. Your empathic and wonderful words could so easily be read at any such service. They would touch every mind and heart present, Gee.

In a far gentler yet dramatic tone, you reflect my own feelings about death in war. Of course there need be respect shown to those who said goodbye and never returned but... But dear Lord, what of the future decades of children who might never come back. When will it stop?

[Gee]

If ever it will stop.....
We are attending a gala charity do next week hosted by MK rugby club, and they are getting the under 18's to read out one of my earlier poems, " When death is closer than home..it's a long way to Tipperary" as a tribute to those that have fought and died for our country. To say I am humbled is an understatement of epic proportions. Unbelievable.
Thanks as always for your kind and generous words EmmaJ, hope you are well and tomorrow is all that you wish it to be.

[emmajoy]

If that other poem has the same emotional impact as the one above, it will touch each and everyperson there and i don't 'doubt more than a few will always remember it, Gee.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

as Ana said...war is such a cold thing...no hugs, just empty arms, and empty stares from those who do not survive.
we must remember them and warm them with those memories...they deserve that.
j.

[Gee]

They do indeed, every last one of them that have laid down their lives in the quest for peace.
Thank you Jacob.

[Ana Papaya]

War is a cold thing. :(
Your words remind us that these events are real not stories

[Gee]

Hi , folk always imagine instantaneous death. Perhaps easier than imagining the suffering of slowly dying.
Thank you Ana

[john l smith]

such a miserable shame what we do to each other
Dave

[Gee]

Aye, not much better than savages at times.
Cheers

[Chris Shaw]

Now these lines of yours brought a lump to my throat, so deeply moving they are. Really brings home the futility of warfare. Makes me want to weep at the carnage. Well done Gee.

Chris

[Gee]

Thank you Christine :)

[Kelly Scheppers]

...deeply moving and very compelling piece, Gordon. I almost lost it as "he sat on his mother's lap, safe as she stroked his hair, humming him into eternal sleep".

[Gee]

Hi Kelly, thank you.