Remembrance Day

[stewey]

Some people have quoted poems on here concerning it. So I thought I'd do the same. This poem, when I first read it, really made it clear to me what a devastating effect WW1 made upon the youth of England. Even though this refers to "posh' folk, I imagine it was the same all the way down the line.

The years go fast at Oxford,
The golden years and gay;
The hoary colleges look down at boys at play.
But when the bugles sounded--War!
They put their games away.

They left the peaceful river.
The cricket, the quad.
The shaven lawns of Oxford
To seek a bloody sod.
They gave away their merry youth
For country and for God.

Two verses from " The Spires of Oxford" by Winifred M Letts.

[Wharton]

Nice stewey - Letts not forget.

[stewey]

You know, when I first posted this, I didn't realize the significance of the poet's last name. By the way, he was Irish. I would think that back then it was very unusual for a Dubliner to sympathize with the bloody English.

[gness]

Hi Stewey....Winifred was born in England to an Irish mother and English father. She and her mother went to live in Ireland after her father's death where she married an Irish man.....

She did write some touching war poetry including The Deserter.

Just a bit of info..not in anyway saying women can be poets too.... ;-)..☺

[stewey]

Thanks, gness, interesting. And I referred to the poet as "he"!

[gness]

I know...we do it all the time don't we....poets, doctors, plumbers..always he.....She was a really interesting lady wasn't she?

You're right about supporting the English at a difficult time but I had family who fought with the IRA and family who fought in WW1 and WW2.