Tribute to David Michael Jones. 1895 - 1974.
A British poet, painter and engraver
Was a lad of 20, left art college to join the RWF*
"In parenthesis "was his write
A poem describing horrors
Of being a front line soldier, to fight
In the world war 1 battle on the western front
An event he described as epic
and imbued with religious, moral and mythic
overtones where Divine Grace manifested a continual presence
T.S.Elliot called his work "a work of genius"
badly wounded in Mametz Wood his life they did fear
In 1921 he converted to Catholicsm, going to Eric Gills
Community in Ditching Uk where he honed his
carpentry and engraving skills
When Stravinsky came to UK For the last time ,
was solely a pilgrimage to visit David Jones
David died in 1974
Some of his paintings are in the Tate.
His work is mostly forgotten
Was deeply Catholic, writing
The Sleeping Lord and Other Fragments.
Classed amongst the most important poems of the 20th century
*RWF. Stands for Royal Welch Fusiliers, they wear a feather in their cap
badge.
Read notes please.
William Thomas Pickering, 2nd Battalion Royal Fusiliers, G/3371 born 1881 died 1916
Commemorated by name on the Thiepval Memorial, France.
Remembrance day ..
A field of bright red poppies dance
As I walk hand in hand with my children
Through the battle fields of the Somme
In my pocket, I have a bunch of wheat
A token memory from where he fell
At peace, to have walked where he walked
As the poppies begin to fade....
I hear the thunder of guns, shrieking shells
I see a vast sea of dismembered bodies
A No-Man’s Land of mud and wire
A military display of fireworks dispersing
Casting light on this horrific hell on earth
For underneath the poppies lie, the remains
Of so many men who died, blown to pieces;
Where a river of blood will forever bleed
Passed on from generation to generation
The great loss of war, which nobody wins
As I remember my Great-Grandfather
William Thomas Pickering.....
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