In Flanders Fields

In Flanders Fields In Flanders fields the poppies grow; Their roots reach down to twine amongst the bones, The mouldering bones. Each skull in grinning disbelief voices Its eternal question, for what? And no answer comes, No answer comes. There are no lungs to find; Long rotted from within, from gasping breaths of gas, From choking gas. No flesh remains to clothe the Bones; torn from limbs by hammer blows of fate, Cruel, indifferent fate. No heroes these, but common men Who selfless thought to serve, to do the right thing, Unquestioned right thing. Their souls now wait deep underground; Deep amongst the rusting, shattered fragments of twisting Death, Of youthful Death. Only the Sun kissed faces red; That wave upon the land above, serve to remind, Ever remind us. In Flanders fields the poppies grow. (With acknowledgement for inspiration to Lt Col John McCrae) To the memory of my Grandfather, who endured the Somme and spoke not a word of it. Each year, he and my Grandmother made thousands of poppies to sell on Armistice Day for the survivors of that Contemptible Little Army.