Remembrance Day
‘Eyes left’,
the Sergeant-Major shouted
And all the veterans obeyed.
Eyes that have seen horrors,
admired the poppies on display
The line of heroes seemed endless,
as proudly past the cenotaph,
they marched
saluting smartly,
medals and decorations
adorning worthy chests
Some of them not as mobile as they were,
but marching, nevertheless…
And as they remembered
their fallen comrades
And the dreadfulness of war
I wonder if they ever
ask themselves
what they did it for?
The obvious answer –
to keep the world free
To deliver it from madness
and tyranny
and I respect them
and bless them for it…
But as I survey
the wondrous dross
of human nature
and witness the hatred
ignorance and lawlessness,
I feel an ache in my heart
for those brave souls whose bodies
still litter the fields of Flanders
with only poppies for headstones…
Those that fought terror
with shaking hands salute
as others live in error
despising freedoms' fruit
and those of us that think again
before walking our streets of vice
are proud of our veteran warriors
and weep for their sacrifice.
pushing the like button--Wilfred Owen would like these words as well
Thanks Jim....much appreciated