it saddens me
old 'blood and guts'
the heroes and their glory
behind them trails a deathly story
it saddens me
as kids we'd create
rattle of gunfire in our throats
though father missed the homecoming boats
those who were given no surrender
expendable souls of our dead defenders
facing deaths machine with no place to go
no glorious tomorrow riding Winnie's dynamo
it saddens me
to have no answer
did they die for peace 'ever after'
we feigned 'glory' and hid their 'disaster'
it saddens me
-
Author:
dusk arising (
Offline) - Published: May 30th, 2020 00:03
- Comment from author about the poem: This is about the 51st Highland Division who Winston Churchill sacrificed in north France as a sideshow so that his operation dynamo (the evacuation at Dunkirk) could take place. Churchill, nicknamed winnie (or old blood and guts because of his previous record in Britains fighting history) ordered the 51st Highland Division to fight to the death against the vastly superior and better equipped Nazis under general Erwin Rommel. They were defeated out of ammunition at St Valery-en-Caux on the coast and General Fortune surrendered the remaining 11,000 soldiers 5,000 of whom were wounded and all were taken as prisoners of war. Their courage and sacrifice never received any recognition. No campaign medal was ever awarded. This is not a tribute, I cannot find words fine enough to write a tribute to these betrayed loyal men.
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- Views: 54
- Users favorite of this poem: Poetic Dan
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Comments6
Reading your honest words gives tribute by drawing attention to their tragic position dear friend and I agree most wholeheartedly those heroes who drew fire away from souls caught at Dunkirk need far more recognition.
So true d a, Churchill was guilty of getting so many people killed in ww2 and in battles previous to the war but they are never mentioned as he 'needs to be know' as the saviour of this country from the Nazi's.
Andy
I took that out of context and had to fav, I'm sure you understand 😉
My reply sometimes .
is 'I told you so - not to trust man/women completely'.
Great men/women are not always wise, not even Einstein.
Churchill said 'I'm ready to meet my Maker; I'm not sure if my Maker is ready to meet me'. He (his Maker) will be ready. We may not say anything much when we get there, just be overcome by His glory - like trying to look at the sun in its full strength.
I'm afraid we were alas also guilty of 'war crimes' (Dresden was another) but the good did outweigh the bad if that's any consolation.
I am with you all the way my friend, only on one point would I beg to differ... these words, your ‘Betrayal’ are nothing short of a magnificent reminder, tribute, education and dedication to all those fellows who were clearly deceived and otherwise betrayed....
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