Your Country Say's it Needs You

Lest we forget...

Your Country Say's it Needs You

 

For as far as the eye could see

Khaki clad young lads lined up

Keen to swap their old flat caps

For new tin hats

 

Thats the way they were in them

Days

 

Waved off or shooed from

Platforms steamy, cold and grey

From shiny front door steps and mats

Sent on their way…

 

With nowt but a kiss or a hug or a

Shoulder pat

By ma’s in their curlers, aprons and

Hand crochet shawls .. but then

 

That’s the way they were them days

 

Not to mention the dads with their

Braces, their boots and cravats,  

All short back n sides, moustaches

And this and their that’s…

 

That’s the way they were them days

 

Oh’ and let’s not forget all those

Back before Christmas son chats

Those belly laughs, the lighting of f**s

And the nods and the winks…

 

That’s the way they were them days

 

Remember that stiff upper lip son

That duty calls, for king and for

Country you don’t have to have balls

It’ll all be over by Christmas, the fools

 

That’s the way it was them days

 

 

 

 

Author's Note

it weren't all good though, were it...

Reviews

[jacob erin-cilberto]

never over when they say it would be over.
This sounds more like the early world wars...but i attach it to Nam...all my friends going over there....coming back different...no short stints...but even when there were they were bad...i was 1A for awhile but didn't get drafted...there was such a fear of going to that war...lots of Black Christmases and scary New Years...and too many dying...and for what?

[Neville]

You got it.. this was very penned with WW1 in mind.. The war to end all wars, they said.. what a lot of tosh eh.. thanks jacob .. although I served for a while in the RAF.. I bought my self out shortly after my good friend Steve O was blown to bits by a milk churn mine and by his own countrymen at that.. and to answer your question for what.. for next to nothing it seems

Neville

[barleygirl]

Your tongue-in-cheek homage to the way it was/is . . . I suppose the possibility that glorifying war is one of the all-time great delusions, in my humble opinion. It's interesting how some that were infatuated with serving their country have lived on to remain so, while others feel bitterly disappointed for having been hoodwinked by that malarky. I love the "old timey" feel of your writing style in this (((HUGS))) Fondly, Margie

[Neville]

thank you for checking in Margie .. a much appreciated visit (NUGs) n truly :)

[Fay Slimm]

Those tragic lives lost on the careless whim of war-frenzied mongers is spelled out most starkly in these lines my friend .................. that was the way then and is now still when lads and lasses are brainwashed with tosh. A powerful read..............x

[Neville]

Thank you kindly dear Fay.. x

[Gee]

A disposable commodity, a whole generation sacrificed for what ?? And the war to end all wars was but 20 years over when it all began again, unbelievable.
You've captured the naivety of all very well .
Hope you and yours are well.

[Neville]

that is precisely it .. ta Gee

yep we are okay down here... hope the same for you and your gang.. N :)

[Lorry]

Seems to be the way that gets us through hard times though Nev. That old blitz spirit and making do and mending. No amazon to fill up the pantry with next day drone delivery.
They had nothing and made it through. I'd hate to see the odds of us spoiled softies making it through that lot, but glad to see some of that spirit emerge in recent times, as we are under attack by invisible blighters of all things.
We would have staged a mass walkout on day one after finding there's no wifi or coffee bar in the trenches.
Argh, the youth of today, blah!
Apologies. It's me birthday and I'm feeling old. 😀

[Neville]

Hey, I simply could not agree with you more young man... and no need to apologise to this here Neanderthal about droning on birthdays are special no matter what.. Congratulations, have a bloomin FAB one mate and then some

Neville
ps.. ta for turning out today ta tah for now..😀

[alanwgraham]

Very good Neville. Of course we'll never know but I feel you're close to 'that were the way it were in them days'. Empathising with others is very important and never more so than today.
We are currently the two sole passengers on a bus to Edinburgh and it feels like s voyage. to Mars. I don't think the driver's had a passenger in 3 months and we can't shut him up!
Take care.
Alan

[Neville]

Hi Alan, good to hear from you my friend .. on a bus way up there and only the two of you on board.. blimey he aint a driver, he's ya chauffeur .. Now dont that make you feel right posh eh..
very kind of you to suggest my proximity to them days was not too far adrift.. I do have a thing about them days.. I may have mentioned before that I feel as if I was actually around in them days... am hoping when lockdown is behind us and it is safe to travel again(is it ever) to drive back to France and Belgium and continue my commonwealth war graves research .. but that's another story altogether.. Just wanna say ta for stopping by and assure you those concluding remarks of yours are reciprocated mate..

Neville

[Chris Shaw]

World war 1, cannon fodder. That's what they were. The lost generations. Young men under the command of fools who didn't care a toss. I wrote a poem about a photograph in a museum which really moved me, a young woman with her brother who was in full uniform. Taken three days before he was killed. That is so painful what their reality turned out to be. Yes many a young man died calling out for his mother or girlfriend. Tears you apart if you think about it too much. This poem just sums up the whole idiocy of the situation. Great poem Neville.
( They went so willingly which hurts even more.)
Chris

[Neville]

Such a bloody waste.. thank you Chris

Neville