Tommy became a Tommy
In 1914
The boy with a crewcut
And a million dreams.
Fresh faced and spotty
Mischeviously poor
Hard man for a father
Tears for mother.
Four years in the dark
A hell hacking out coal
Long shifts for a pittance
To survive is the goal
Pay each debtor
Who knocks at the door
A few pints after graft
To wash away the coal tar.
France was an unreal
To a boy from the pit
Cheap brandy down his throat
Scrambling from the guts and the spit.
To fire that rifle
Not too straight not too wide
Kill a German a day
Make the sergeant smile.
One day from the trench
More drunk than afraid
Tommy became a Tommy
Spotty fresh faced.
The bullet hit clean
No time to recall
A boys love of life
Only one more to fall.
-
Author:
nephilim56 (
Offline) - Published: September 6th, 2023 02:55
- Category: Unclassified
- Views: 8
Offline)
Comments2
The empathy and dignity you always give the war veterans is incredibly admirable 💖
thank you, I wrote this many years ago and it came 2nd in a poetry competition to a poem about fish and chips
Just shows what people find more appealing : (
2 more comments
You know I relate completely.
Poetry I'm at one with all the way.
Agree entirely here with Teddy.15.
many thanks I really do love this poem
To be able to comment and rate this poem, you must be registered. Register here or if you are already registered, login here.