Notes About The Poem

This poem first appeared in the first volume of my poetry: 'Beware the Cheshire Cat'. It has recently been included in the huge collection that is 'Butterfly Mind'.

BETTER TO WRITE OF COWS AND APPLES

Only when we have felt, even once,
the clawed caress of strife,
do we value the soft warm hand
of peaceful days in our life.
Give me boredom and humdrum
over adventure and interesting times; 
a quiet corner in a calm house
to write and edit my rhymes.

Oh, war has driven the pen stroke
and sorrow versed in the bomb strike,
but I’d rather read all about it
in a book and only imagine what it’s like,
than breathe the smoke of burning -
the death scent of a home.
I do not need to personally bleed
to scratch out a war-time poem.

Better to write of cows and apples,
than Flanders field and poppies;
to write of a Luve like a red, red rose,
than a requiem for the Croppies;
and though the poet much values his words
I’ll bet that each war-torn bard
would’ve chosen to write first hand in the soft
than ink pain in the trench of the hard.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2026

Poem

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