Quiet Fields of Ypres

QUIET FIELDS OF YPRES by JOHN M. ARRIBAS These fields are quiet and silent there is little sound Dandelions and wild flowers cover the ground The grasses are tall and green. The soil is soft and damp Stillness belies the sanctity of these fields. Ten decades ago great acts of heroism happened here. Men risked and sacrificed their lives to save a brother While simultaneously killing and maiming each other Grown men were reduced to tears each day As their comrades were buried or carried away No one won anything except a few trinkets and ribbons Images in blood and gore that nauseate the senses The newer generations have restored these fields The trenches have been filled and barb wires removed All those combatants are gone now but scars remain What were they thinking, the whole world was insane Thousands of widows and orphans were created here The whole of Europe was living in constant fear Families displaced, communities torn apart Sickness and hunger were all part of the plot. No man in the house for a generation. To rebuild and restore the devastation Men directing the war were awarded status and fame While thousands of crosses were staked lacking a name . These fields have earned their silent serenity. Paid for by those who hereon entered eternity nunquam iterum