I saw his head above the distant Earth
About a Hundred-yards or more,
A bobbing Head thats a Cartridge worth
For this is Bloody War.
‘It’s you or im’ The Sergeant said
When on the Training Ground ,
‘So let im av it’ a song he fed
‘And put in another Round’.
And so we ‘Hammered’ My Chums And I
To give them Merry Hell,
Ours was not to reason why
The Murder that befell.
We fought what seemed a lifetime through
A Carnage of Steel and Lead,
The Slaughter raged, the Fever grew,
Until the ground was puddled Red.
We lost a lot that Hellish Day
Good Comrades in Mirth and Song,
Dear friends that lie in Mud and Clay
Once soon the fight is done.
And of my Foe there are many laid
Now strewn in Trenches deep,
Gaping Mouths for Home fires prayed;
Now quiet in deathly sleep.
As there I see old Bobbing Head
His face a silent cry,
The open brow where the Rats are fed
No Mother should ever espy.
And inside his Pocket a Picture placed,
The Girl who waits at Home,
She speaks of Wine and Joys embraced
And all that Love has shown.
For I killed not just one in the Warring Tide
By the duty I had to impart,
But also the dreams of a hopeful Bride;
And the reverence of a young girl Heart.
-
Author:
Kevin Hulme (
Offline) - Published: November 10th, 2024 19:21
- Comment from author about the poem: Remembering all the Soldiers in War : On all sides, and the families at home who are also affected
- Category: Reflection
- Views: 9
Offline)
Comments2
Very somber and thoughtful piece. Despite the truisms and trite images a war poem cannot avoid, they are always moving and haunting when they are as sincere as this. Thank you.
Yes:
LEST WE FORGET all subsequent wars, the casualties on all sides, (both civilian as well as military) and the stupidity of the politicians and the military industrial complex which inflicted it all.
Yes , I like reading the ‘War Poets’ : some fine poetry and Emotions laid down. ‘Lest we forget’ indeed.
Ever read AD Hope\'s \'Inscription for a War'? He is an Australian poet, no war poet like Owen or Sassoon. However, his six lines are a little gem:
https://poemsontheunderground.org/inscription-for-a-war
(How he ended up on the London Underground I've no idea - but it was the best copy I could find.)
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