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1940 Poems

John Lennon 1940-1980

Was John Lennon
crossing the line,
mucking about,
burning his bridges,
or bucking the palace,
a fine sign of the times
then, in 1969,
not often seen,
when returning his MBE
to The Queen?

Categories: 1940, character, fun, humorous, moving
Form: Rhyme

1940 Detective Movies

in the 1940 detective movies
leading men were called gumshoes
women were referred to as molls, dames, chicks or dolls.
it was acceptable for the men to swat a woman’s bottom.
She giggled and acted like she enjoyed it.
it was so normal some of us little ones did not know how wrong it was.

Categories: 1940, nostalgia,
Form: Free verse

Office at Night - 1940 - by Edward Hopper - 1298

You can walk right into this image. 
Stand there near the typewriter if you like.
Edward Hopper has allowed plenty of room.
Although he has filled the space very well,
As it is a small office, and her desk is also there.  
It suits the feeling of closeness without being cramped.
A secretary, back in the day was

Categories: 1940, night, sensual,
Form: Ekphrasis

Book: Radiant Verses: A Journey Through Inspiring Poetry

1940 To 1949

I am the decade of nuclear 
Reaction. 
   I am the Japanese surrender 
Reads the caption. 

   I am the Iron Curtain speech 
By Winston Churchill. 
   I am Congress passes 
The G.I. Bill. 

   I am George Orwell's 1984 
Book. 
   I am the

Categories: 1940, history,
Form: Rhyme

Fleckfieber 1940 Typhoid Outbreak 1940

Warsaw 1940 certain inhabitants designated
A health risk were ordered to strip naked
Had to shower to become clean this ploy
Caused public humiliation, and showed
Dominence there was also mass quarrantine
Also to your own house that was
Useless in its 'so called mission' 
And in fact caused a rise in infection
As the immune systems of people
Lowered due to length

Categories: 1940, age, analogy, conflict, discrimination,
Form: Verse

Le Paradis 27 May 1940

As our troops tramped in retreat to La Panne,
who was it who held the enemy back?
The Royal Norfolks were part of the plan
to hold the line against German attack
till the last man and the last round was spent.
In Duriez Farm holed up, surrounded,
exhausted, many wounded, in torment
with no means of escape they surrendered.

The Totenkopf lined

Categories: 1940, anniversary, death, endurance, murder,
Form: Sonnet

Air Raid 1940

The drone of bombers 
In the night sky 
A wail of sirens 
From the terrified city
Where youth and innocence die.

W.A. CHOLT.  Copyright Fergal O Reilly  2018.

Categories: 1940, city, conflict, death, world
Form: Tanka

Lifting Tram Rails In 1940

Lifting tram rails in 1940,
he was aware of the Louvre...
was aware of a cameraman.
Now we see a black and white world,
where leaves on trees have shed their green,
and the sky is a wish-washy grey...

We see the tram rails piled untidily,
and a bicycle boy on right
fearing he'll be late for school.
We see his and rail man's

Categories: 1940, history,
Form: Free verse

No Black Out 1940

in the village street
alone our brand new gas lamp
this our Las Vegas,
while we all celebrated
enemy bombs raining down.

© Harry J Horsman 2014

Categories: 1940, remember, war,
Form: Tanka

14 May 1940

14   May   1940




Rotterdam  was  brung
Gotterdammerung  




..............................................................................
Note
(a )  In 1940 the Germans bombed  most of the city 
centre of Rotterdam,   killing thousands  of civilians 
and destroying  the city centre.
(b )   “Gotterdammerung”  is a German word meaning total 
destruction. The word

Categories: 1940, war,
Form: Couplet

Memories of 1940

My name is being called from the street.
Looking out my window,
Gray.
Hesitating, I linger longer,
Biting my lower lip.
Remembering my child,
I lift her.
Bringing her to my chest tight.
Small breaths warming my skin, as
I tiptoe to the door.
Down the stairs, following
Impressed footprints.
At the last step I
Hear worried whispers.
Families watching me from their doors,
Pitying me.
Reaching for the handle,
BANG.
Door flies

Categories: 1940, deathme, child, me,
Form: Verse