This poem came to me on the last Remembrance Day - 11th November 2013. Don't know where it came from but the words cut me up as I wrote them.
Eleven, Eleven, Eleven Eleven, eleven, eleven, again Tormented souls up in heaven 1918 - How time’s rolled on With a whole generation gone. The eleventh hour of the eleventh day Of the eleventh month each year people stay 2 minutes stopped from activity Stand still and silent for all to see Respect given to the long-dead, missing, fallen In needless wars of attrition Yet worldwide wars still rage on Today our troops and civvies fall upon Foreign soil and foreign lands Killed and maimed by foreign hands Their unselfish acts never cease In helping bring this world to peace Some youth look on with empty eyes Cannot understand people’s sighs Don’t want to know what they can’t see At things that happened in history The years roll on – but things don’t change Respect for these heroes is not strange These people battle universal strife Willingly lay down their life We hear Kipling’s words “Lest we Forget” But do we understand our eternal debt? No greater love is more than this They give their lives for our own bliss Rest well you battle weary souls Whose souls and lives will ne’er grow old Rejoice each year again and again That your sacrifice was not in vain
Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem. Negative comments will result your account being banned.
Be the first to comment on this poem. Encourage this poet.