Terry Ireland Poet Rhyme

Sharp Street Shrine, March 2014

It's cold and it's windy
But still that crowd meets
To stand with respect 
At the top of Sharp Street.
The Bearers stand at attention
As though shrunken by age
Since those seventy years
When they occupied a world stage.
Now they stand, booted and suited,
With their Medals on display
To pay their respects to
Victims of an earlier day.
Their banners are lowered 
As the tribute silence starts
For the living and the dead
All played their similar parts.
The shrine is unveiled,
The names on display,
The heroes who fought and 
Died in those long past days.
The Sharp Street Pals, one hundred
And forty two died from this street
Marched off to Belgium
And the fates they would meet.
Kitchener said they were needed
And they didn't let him down
Joining those Pals from 
The other parts of other towns.
History has judged harshly
The causes of their fate
But the judgements of history 
By definition are too late.
And nothing can detract 
From the courage and the glory,
The Sharp Street Pals, and this little
Street shrine tells part of their story.
The Standards are raise as
The ceremony ends 
One hundred years after the conflict 
Started for that battalion of friends.
The people disperse 
And the solemn mood is gone
But for just a little while, in
Memory those Pals lived on.

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Speaks Volumes October 29, 2022 at 3:47 AM and man's own hand was the hand of fate. War is such a terrible thing. Command has been blamed for much loss of life, but as your colorful poem states, that doesn't take away from the valor and bravery shown by our troops. Will there ever come a day when wars don't break out ? A super commemorative poem Terry. Terry Ireland October 29, 2022 at 5:06 AM This Street Shrine was restored and re dedicated. A group of Hull Veterans walked from the War Cemetry in Belgium back to Hull to ceremonially bring home their names on 2014.