Christopher Flaherty | + Follow Poet |
Free verse | + Fav Poem | Comment | Email | Print |

Shells of Alamein Lest We Forget War

Lest we forget

When the Shelling 
And the Din of gunfire
Finally stopped 

His mind was shot
A hollow broken shell
Stood

Crooked in the corner of some foreign land
Every boy and man befell unto
Inspite of class or rank 
Come 1,
Come all 
To walk the plank

Into no mans land
Gods hands

As the marching band grew silenced 
Drowned out by the violence 

Of brethren slain,
Into the Dunes of Alamein

Please Login to post a comment

David Kavanagh Date: 7/7/2020 5:57:00 PM This poem could well be the Somme in ww1 but no matter you nailed this one good, soldiers turned to wretches already shell shocked then forced into a suicidal attack, but you somehow capture the surreal madness of war and transform us into the middle of the nightmare, only a damn good poet has this ability cheers David Login to Reply David Kavanagh Date: 7/8/2020 2:08:00 AM That scene in black adder was a master stroke of cinematography the absolute futility of war frozen in time ha ha I was so happy Darling got sent over the top brilliant stuff cheers David Christopher Flaherty Date: 7/7/2020 6:37:00 PM The final scenes going over the top inspite of knowing the utter futility and fact they were going to die which morphs then into the poppie field's of the Somme does the subject far more justice than any statue or memorial ever could Christopher Flaherty Date: 7/7/2020 6:29:00 PM Cheers David Yes you are so very right well spotted my m8 its a multitude of conflicts converted into 1 singular poem that is not factually correct but rather used to explete the narrative. The final end to Blackadder goes forth is i think the greatest piece of historical art spoken in jest

Quoth Theraven Date: 10/20/2018 1:09:00 AM True inspiration and voice from the present for those forever entombed. "We stopped them at El Alamein." RIP Zoltan Korda & Humphrey Bogart... Login to Reply Christopher Flaherty Date: 10/20/2018 4:52:00 PM Cheers Raven Thank you very much indeed . We won the Battle and the War. And yet somehow still came out the eventual loosers . Explain that and God Rest our Felled. Lest we never Forget their sacrifice

Leanne Lovejoy-Burton Date: 10/11/2018 6:23:00 PM If I read a poem and the words instantly transport me to be standing in the story visually witnessing a man, men and boys shot and butchered in the fields of war, to feel somehow the PTSD that a man left standing broken and hollow would feel, then you have delivered THE message. As my father was Army (1st Australian regiment into Vietnam) and later Airforce and I have known a man left with PTSD hollow and broken from fighting in the middle east, you have my greatest respect with delivery of this poem. Login to Reply Christopher Flaherty Date: 10/11/2018 6:34:00 PM Cheers Leanne. Can't thank you enough . I write and I write admittedly mostly if not all crap . So when someone takes the time out to comment I am so grateful. Thank you for your kind words and time taken. Cheers ta this has special meaning to me

Robert Lindley Date: 9/4/2018 5:47:00 AM My friend, these are very inspiring verses. A great sad thing is the anti-war people refuses to give due respect to the brave men and women that served honorably and sacrificed so very much defending their home nation. Love this superb poem my friend.. A fav... Login to Reply Christopher Flaherty Date: 9/11/2018 3:51:00 PM Cheers Robert . Thank you very very much for your kind inspiring comments my friend. I appreciate them greatly . Ta

Darlene De Beaulieu Date: 12/1/2017 8:49:00 PM hello Christopher, a very touching, sad poem. have a nice evening my friend. Login to Reply Christopher Flaherty Date: 12/2/2017 4:40:00 PM Thank you very much Darlene my Friend. Cheers much appreciated.

Line Gauthier Date: 11/25/2017 10:23:00 AM Congrats on a very touching and powerful poem, Christopher. Login to Reply Christopher Flaherty Date: 11/25/2017 6:17:00 PM Cheers Line Thank you very much for your kind comments much appreciated. It is the 1 poem of mine i like and am actually quite proud of. Ta Regards

Jan Allison Date: 10/30/2017 3:19:00 PM I got a shiver down my spine reading your poem especially the second stanza which hits home so hard, your vivid descriptive imagery is superb Christopher and I agree it is one of your best writes and am adding it to my faves. I would classify it as free verse:-) hugs Jan xx Login to Reply