The War Bride

THE WAR BRIDE They walked hand in hand, barefoot through the meadow The birds were in song and the bees were in flight It seemed that they only had eyes for each other The buttercups danced, in the warm evening light They paused for a while, for a kiss and a cuddle Then dipped their feet in the cool of the stream Then off to the house of their dreams, down the laneway Together forever, behold loves young dream In a white linen dress and a garland of roses She wed in the place, where her wedding had been And gallant was he, in his service apparel They danced in the spring air of nineteen fourteen With tears in her eyes, she waves down the laneway He was off to the fight, in the war to end wars She waited and prayed, put a light by the window He witnesses horror and death by the score Well the hedge has grown over, she can’t see the meadow The home that she loved is all creaky and cold She looks down the lane and remembers the good times The picture she holds, is now fifty years old Her feet haven’t cooled in the stream for a long time All her memories fade, since her day as a bride She remembers her dance, in the spring with her loved one Then she cuddles her picture of him with such pride No flowers in the garden, just weeds which grow tall now The kids call her names, as they hurry on by That crazy old woman, who stares down the laneway The taunts hurt her feelings, though the names make her cry One night in the springtime, he came back to visit He beckoned to her, to come to his place She was found with her picture, and a garland of roses She wore a white linen dress; she had a smile on her face