Year 9 Poems for Remembrance

THERE I WAS

THERE I WAS, DRUNK WITH FATIGUE,
BLISTERS EVERYWHERE WITH NO GUN ROOM TO SPARE.
A BULLIT AT SPEED, HAS NO INTEGRITY TO SUCCEED.
 THERE I WAS STANDING WITHOUT A BIRD IN SIGHT,
BUT ALL ARTILLERY SHELLS HAVING A FLIGHT.
 THERE I WAS, PUT TO THE GROUND,
BUT ALL I COULD HEAR WAS NO SOUND.
 

By Jamie Gibbs

I AM A SOLDIER

I AM A SOLDIER, FIGHTING FOR MY COUNTRY

I’M TERRIFIED, TO PUT IT BLUNTLY.

I SOON LEARNED AND ACCEPTED MY FATE;

I WAS GOING TO DIE AND BE LEFT IN A CRATE

SO PLEASE DO ONE THING FOR ME,

TO MAKE THIS EASIER FOR MY FAMILY.

PUT MY MEDALS ON MY CHEST

AND TELL THEM ALL I DID MY BEST

TELL THEM ALL NOT TO CRY, FOR I AM A SOLDIER

AND BORN TO DIE.

By William Brunning

WAS IT WORTH IT?

I LOOK UPON THE FIELD OF THE SOMME,

AND THE SCARS OF MANY A WRATHFUL BOMB.

I STOP AND TAKE A BRREATH,

STRUCK BY THE SCALE OF DEATH.

WAS IT WORTH IT?

YOUNG MEN, EAGER TO ENLIST,

OBLIVIOUS TO HOW MUCH THEY WOULD BE MISSED.

THEY WERE CUT DOWN, NO MATTER HOW BRAVE,

ALL THEY ARE NOW IS A NAME ON A GRAVE.

WAS IT WORTH IT?

By Duncan Eglinton

MUD

HOBBLING THROUGH SLUDGE, THE MEN THEY CAME

SOME PARALISED AND MANY WERE LAME.

NOT WANTING TO REMEMBER THE TERRIBLE DAYS WHERE THEY LEFT ALL THEIR FRIENDS IN THE MUD AND DECAY.

AT THE START, THE MEN SIGNED UP READY FOR A THRILL,

NOT KNOWING THAT THEY HAD BEEN SENT OUT TO THE KILL.

COLD BLOODED MURDER BEFORE YOUR VERY EYES,

FIGHTING LIKE JUST SUICIDE.

DULCE ET DECORUM EST

WHOEVER KNEW THERE WOULD BE SUCH A MESS

PRO PATRIA MORI  

WHAT A TERRIBLE STORY.

SO TRY TO IMAGINE GOING OVER THE TOP

WOULD YOU ENCOURAGE WAR OR IMPLORE IT TO STOP?

By Jack Parrott