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MINI-CONTEST

Memorial day approaches. In the U.S. it commemorates those who were lost in wars. So let's remember All soldiers lost by writing a poem about them. No winner or loser here because any poem thus written is a winner. Also any form is acceptable as well as any length. The only rules are that "Memorial Day" be part of the title and last day to post is May 25.

It is unfortunate that every country has had its taste of war so let's give our due to those who gave their all..........stan

Comments

Remembrance Day.

Today is a day set aside, for us to remember?
To remember all those that have given all there is to give.
It is hard to think of these things.
We know and believe, that they are waiting to be with us,
At the end of this our life’s journey.
We gather here to find peace,
With those that have made the journey ahead of us.

They made the journey so that we can live in a better world.
Twice the nations of the world came to blows, for a better world.
Then also there were others, that each day have given their all.
So that others may lead a life, or be given the chance to.
We remember them, they are many, and we set aside only a day.
To remember.

To remember, those that fought in wars for the good of others.
We know that they will never be forgotten.
They are gathered together now, as we recall them.
To a great number of us, they are with us, always.

To those that lost someone we send our thoughts.
And our love to hold them, in their own private grief.
We must strive to hold them always,
As they hold their loved ones,
That gave us all they had.
We remember them.

I walked in a field of corn and there was one poppy
I remembered them.
I walked in a field of Poppies and there was one head of corn.
I remembered them.
That I can walk this world as I do.
I remember them.
It is with sadness that I feel for all those that were left behind.
It is with joy, that I know that they believe, in those that, we remember.
That we can walk with hope, and peace in our day’s, is because of them.
We thank you,

You who have suffered, to give us these days
You, the ones that gather with us at the closing of the days.
With your memories and love for those that have given all.
We thank you, that we can,
"Remember"
NB:- this first part was written by myself in a car park waiting to go into a service that my wife Anne was taking for the Spiritualist church.
Anne would during the service give a reading that was topical of that week, I use to write quite a few of them and I think this would be a good one for your own Memorial day
The haunting melody, we now know as ‘Taps’ used at military funerals was born. During The American civil War
The words are: -
Day is done.
Gone the sun.
From the lakes
From the hills.
From the sky.
All is well.
Safely rest.
God is nigh.
Fading light.
Dims the sight.
And a star.
Gems the sky.
Gleaming bright.
From afar.
Drawing nigh.
Falls the night.

Thanks and praise.
For our days.
Neath the sun
Neath the stars.
Neath the sky.
As we go.
This we know.
God is nigh

I have added this, to the Rememberance piece for this weekend
Am Not sure if you all know the words to the service you have for your troops over there in U S A
It was the words that a lot of people are unaware of.
This one is free of any competition it is just there as an extra,
Yours, Ian

.
Give critique to help keep Neopoet great.
Unconditional love to you all.
"Learn to love yourself first"
Yours as always, Ian.T, Sparrow, and Yenti

6th June 1944

I was only two and a bit,
but I remember you.
In that you flew over little me,
The sky filled with planes.
Was all that I could see.

The ones towed behind,
never to return to me.
The soldiers that they held,
to save us, not themselves.
Always remembered.

I cry for you even now.
They have told me all my life,
that you gave yours.
Without thought so free.
Giving all you could for me

My memory could not see,
the pain in body and mind.
Where death stalked you,
to save those left behind.
I was too small to touch you.

I heard of you later,
they told me each year.
As the time passed by,
that day you were no more.
As you fought for me

If my memory could hold you,
forever high in that sky
But you went for little me.
You see I was so tiny,
Now all I can do is cry.

Never forgotten, Yours, Ian

.
Give critique to help keep Neopoet great.
Unconditional love to you all.
"Learn to love yourself first"
Yours as always, Ian.T, Sparrow, and Yenti

The walking staff digs in a bit
on the pebble paved neat winding way.
With each step he leans on it
on this bright clear late spring day.

Shadows rest in ordered rows
save for a tree's shade here and there.
All about lush green grass grows.
A far off field lark sings somewhere.

Another crunch, another pace
from the feeble, fading, limping guy
whose staggered stride has a strange grace.
Headstones salute as he goes by.

But his thoughts belie his age
as he recalls long past days of youth,
those times of fear and hate and rage,
when battle revealed glory's truth.

Then he blinks and looks around.
The thousand yard stare leaves his face
and recalled cannons cease their pound.
He returns to this sacred place.

A step...then two, and there they are.
Old friends' names carved into stone
who met their fates in lands afar.
Among old friends he stands alone.

Unlike him, they never did grow old
for they were taken in their prime,
so he recalls them young and bold,
unworn by strife, unmarked by time.

Then wonders that he's not with them.
Was it really chance he was passed by
by that reaper dark and grim.
He salutes as one tear leaves his eye.

author comment

I tried a line or three myself for the day, but guess I should have added it to the comments here instead of posting it as a separate piece in Stream.

Just cut and paste it to here and it can, unlike us, be at two places at once lol.....stan

author comment

This piece of poetry is by a GI that we remember

During the 1940’s we lived in a small village called Hawkeridge,
It was a time of War
To our village came about six or seven American GI’s,
They were treated as part of our own families.
The next place they were going was to invade Europe.
We still have a few Photos of them holding us as babies,
As I find their names, or all of their names on a list I have,
I will post it as a memory, of the things they did for us,
and you at home there in the USA.
Out of the seven or so that we knew, they all made it through the landings and fighting after,
I have found out that the first to pass over was in 1957, his name was Bill Zanone, (No sure how it is spelt) but he had a bad time of it, and had shell shock,
Later I will put their names on something for you all out there to read.
I feel it is very important that they are remembered,
But me as a baby then, how to turn the clock back to say thank you for what they all did.
Bill Holder, was one of your soldiers (GI) and this is a piece of writing that he did,
I kept it all these years, but I have had to laminate it now as it was falling to bits,
from being looked at and moved around.
William Holder was from Alabama, so I guess that he missed you all out there,
I guess he also thought he would miss our simple life as he kept calling it,
when he went off to war in June 1944.
This is as he wrote it, and I just copied from the original.

There’s a place I know off the main highway
A place that is happy and gay
A place where I’d like to rest myself
At the close of a weary day.

It’s a simple life that’s plain
It’s a life serene and true
It’s a simple life with our mankind
A life of pleasure with you

In a village that nestles close to the earth
And turns it’s face to the sky
A place of merit, the place of our birth
A place for you and I

A simple life, of love and health
No smoke to darken our sky
Where happiness takes the place of wealth
Together you and I

Where the land is the life, aglow and warm
To toil it is needed and sure
Through the summers heat, and the winters storm
A life that is pleasant and secure

The folks of the ciyies know nothing of this
Theirs is a world of thier own
No life of serenity, happiness, bliss,
A life they’ve never known

But the plain simple folk have nothing to add
To the life that is theirs alone
They maybe happy they may be sad
But no other life they’d own

So with the simple folk of these villages,
And a life, that is good and true
We can live side by side together
Simply just plain me and you

with the sun sinking in the evening sky
We can stand in the door of our home
We can look at the veiw and maybe sigh
And remember the life that is gone

To the people who love the country
I have only this to say
It’s here that I’m really happy
And it’s here I hope to stay

Finis

W.H.H.

(GI — William Holder)

You are remembered Bill
As there are a lot of poets from the USA and it is part of their heritage.

.
Give critique to help keep Neopoet great.
Unconditional love to you all.
"Learn to love yourself first"
Yours as always, Ian.T, Sparrow, and Yenti

than Thames
he has spoken for all American
God save the world
imagine if there were no wars
how many soldiers
would have been rendered jobless

Wars are inevitable
to solve unemployment
tis a hobby to maintain an Army
added NAVY
and Air Force too
but without them can u anything do

So look after your veterans
all happy Americans
will you.....
God save America
and
the President
and
all American Neopoets
countless of em

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