I have always believed that good journalism, whether in writing or poetry, should not only convey an image but also bring with it a level of feeling that burns into the soul of the reader. Words are very powerful and that is why I often like to read poetry, as it stirs the heart quickly.
Remembrance Sunday
“On a cold November Sunday morn, an old man sits a while
Looking though old photographs, he can’t help but smile
They’re all there, all the boys, with hair cut short and neat
Uniforms of khaki, strong black boots upon their feet.
They met as strangers but soon became like brothers to the end
Smiling at the camera, there could be no truer friends.
They all took the Queen’s shilling, went off to fight the hun,
Soon learnt the pain of loss once the fighting had begun.
“So many never made it home, lost on foreign shores
Many more were injured and would be the same no more.
The old man’s eyes mist with tears as he remembers every face
Each of his fallen brothers and the killing which took place.
“He proudly dons his beret, his blazer and his tie
For today he will remember the ones who fell and died.
On his chest there is a poppy, a blaze of scarlet on the blue
He steps out into the cold, he has a duty he must do
Once at the cenotaph he stands amongst the ranks
Of those who marched to war and those who manned the tanks,
He bows his head in reverence, as the last post begins to play
And he wonders what will happen at the ending of his days.
“Will anyone remember? Will anybody care?
About the lads so far from home whose life was ended there?
I wish that I could tell him, that he should fear not
For this soldier and his brothers will NEVER be forgot
We owe a debt of gratitude that we can never pay
And this country WILL remember them, on each Remembrance day.”
Maria Cassee
https://www.warpoetry.uk/remembrance
This is a very poignant time of the year as we reflect on past wars where lives were lost, on the veterans that still remain, on those in far-off foreign lands that are now on the fray of war.
With an extremely grateful heart, I ponder on our own lives here on the prairies and even within our country; despite our complaining about this or that, we are so blessed.
But yet, even here, there are so many others fighting…for enough to eat, a shelter to keep them out of the cold and someone to care.
In reality, we are our brother’s keeper and for those that can, we not only need to remember ‘THEM’, we also need to remember ‘those now’ and care in deed in the here-and-now.
There are so many needs even within our small city, to feed the hungry through the MJ & District Food Bank, feed the hungry kids through the I Bought Lunch Campaign, through the upcoming Salvation Army Kettle Campaign, to support our local shelters, as well as continue to remember and take care of our veterans that cared in deed when they went off to war through the Royal Canadian Legion.
We can make a difference in our city, our province and even in our world now but we need to do it together.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
