The old man stands on the street corner
Proudly he sells his poppies red.
Lost in thought remembering his wartime pals, gone now all dead.
He sees the young lad, out the corner of his eye.
Wearing a white poppy interest pricked, the old guy wonders why.
Why do you commit such travesty wearing the cowards poppy?
Looking shocked the young lad replied
I wear this for a brave man who unarmed died!
The old man surprised at the youth’s ready retort asked him to explain.
Let me buy you a cup of tea the young man said
We can sit in the warm and discuss the dead.
Why did you fight your war the young man asked
To free the world and have dictators unmasked.
Oh! said the young man so we could all make our own choices?
To disagree with things we think wrong to raise our own voices?
Yes said the old man yes you are right young man yes that is true.
Oh! said the young then I think we need to ask
Why were the Conscientious Objectors so harshly taken to task
Why did they drive ambulances and carry stretchers unarmed
Why if they stayed behind they were ridiculed , jailed and physically harmed?
The old man sipped his tea , we fought for this country so you could be free!
Oh! said the young man shame my great uncle Jim that choice never did see.
Well said the young man you failed there then
Before you even started you were killing and jailing young men.
Shooting them for standing up for the beliefs they felt to be be true.
Sending them on to the battle field unarmed was that the just thing to do?
Shooting them for standing up for the beliefs they felt to be be true.
The old man went red and started to bluster
The young man quietly smiled thinking is that all you can muster.
Read here the tale of two poppies!