WE WILL REMEMBER THEM

Bodies with faces that are 
     unseeing and unknowing
lie bruised 
     crushed and
               bleeding
at the bottom 
     of a muddy trench
          with the stench
of death
     all around - 
What a waste
     of lives.


Someone's
     husband
          father
               son
                    brother 
                         fiancé 
courageous 
     brave and heroic.


Tears roll
     down the faces
          of those 
who loved them
     but will
          never see them again and
 never had 
     the chance
          to say “Goodbye”.


The freedom 
     they fought for 
          is real
               not abstract
freedom from fear 
     injustice and
          bigotry
freedom 
     to choose 
          to act and
               to speak out
We will 
     remember and
          honour them
with love
     sadness   
          respect and
               gratitude


But the question is
     “Was it all worth it?” 

© Maureen Iles 10/11/2016

The above poem was written by me for last year’s Remembrance Day, but I thought it was worth using again today.  I took this photograph just after 9 am this morning in the pouring rain.  It shows a cloak, made of 1,200 poppies, knitted and crocheted by a local group to raise funds and awareness for the Royal British Legion, and draped around the shoulders of the six feet tall statue of Isambard Kingdom Brunel that stands on a high plinth in the Brunel Shopping Centre, in Swindon.

Mr. HCB kindly waited around whilst I took the photographs, then we went to Jack’s for our usual Saturday morning coffee and were joined by our older son and his wife, so it was good to catch up with them.

Gary, the owner of Jack’s, had the television on and we were told that the minute’s silence would be observed at 11 am, so it was fitting that many of us stood to remember all those who had lost their lives fighting in many wars, especially as the 11th November 2017 marks the 99th Anniversary of the ending of the First World War.

P.S.  Thank you for your kind comments, stars and hearts for Angie’s rose yesterday - apologies for not commenting but our visit to Bath tired me out more than I realised.