Lest we forget

Today is 11/ 11/17 and as with every year I remember those who gave their lives for us to be free. Originally it was for the 1st and 2nd world wars. The war to end all wars (1914 – 1918) a miss noma if ever there was one. Since 1945 I don’t think any part of the world has ever been war free. So many conflicts so many deaths.

As I sit here today on my sun lounger I raise my Mia Tia to all those good souls who made it possible for me to be here.

I shall never forget them . There are people here from many countries and we are all getting on… Maybe the world needs a holiday. 

God keep the souls of all those killed in conflicts, serving or civilian. 

A Letter of Thanks to Mum and Dad.

Yesterday   Jean  at  Social Bridge   wrote  a post  about  writing  a thank you letter  to your  parents read  here. It  is  beautiful  and it inspired  me to write a  thank  you  letter  to  my  sadly, long gone parents.  Thank  you Jean.

Dear Mum  and Dad

I don’t think I ever made  it clear enough  how I appreciated exactly  what  you did  for me. It is only  now  as a parent  that I see  what  you must of  gone  through.

Nine   children  you had, nine, you lost  three  but  that was never  your  fault. How  did  you cope  Mum it must of been hard, and Dad  worse  for you because in those days  grieving  was not  the done thing. I lost  three babies  too I could not openly  grieve  either  but  you knew  you silently  gave me strength.

How  did  you cope  Mum and Dad  how  did  you balance  help  and interference , how  come  you never  ended not  talking  to each other. What  do I do  to bring  my  husband  and youngest  back  together…. how  do I get them both to cross  the huge void  that is screaming  to be addressed!

Now  look see,  you have both  been gone so long  and I miss  you  both so. I need  you here  to give  me  the strength , kindness  and love. See  even now I am asking for  your  help. I am  so selfish, I was  so angry  when you died  Mum  because  you were not there  to talk to  me and  help  me, do you know  it took 7yrs  to accept  that  you had really  gone.

Who  helped you, did  anyone  or did  you have to struggle  through learning haphazardly! You  no  doubt  had  too and  that is  why  you were  both such  helpful parents. I am amazed  at  the sacrifices  you  must  of  made  to  keep us in  clothes, shoes  and food.

Dad worked as a  body maker  for LT making seats on the buses! Off to work at  5am and home at  5pm for dinner 6pm the BBC News … silence  reined!

Mum remember Wimbledon week  we had salad every evening because  you loved  the Tennis , funny  thing  Mum I can’t  stand  tennis! 🙂

Well I shall close  now  and  tell you  that  you gave  me lots of  love and  good advice and  support. I really  hope  that  you were both proud of  me!

I miss  you  and I love  you !

willow xxxxxxxx

PS. I think  things  are improving  on the  father  and son front so please  if  you can  pray  that  they continue  to improve!!

The Bloody Tower.

 

Pouring out of Poppies

On realizing my eyes opened wide

Each poppy was a soldier that had died.

I was so  shocked to see

The pouring out of red running into a sea.

 

On Monday  we went to London Town

To see the poppies swirling  the Tower round  and round.

I was shocked  through to the core.

To witness  the  number of  those who were no more.

 

poppies galore

Rows and rows  growing into a river

Tumbling  from the window pouring on forever.

Each one was a mother’s son, a  husband or a brother

Such sacrifice displayed for all to see , cousin, uncle even lover.

 

I humbly prayed for God  bless them all

Each soul represented  by a red poppy growing tall.

Such a sacrifice for  what gain

“They”  said  a war like that  would not come again.

 

Sadly  now we know the great “They” lied.

For  along came world war 2  and more people died.

War goes on and never stops, no matter how we try

It will always raise it’s ugly  head and more men and women will die.

 

11/11/ Every Year : We Must Not Forget.

http://www.toronto.ca/events/images/poppy_300.jpg

Today was a special day a date carved in my mind.

Today it is time for us to remember the soldiers who died for all mankind.

Walking up to town today my poppy on show

just a little reminder, my reverence to show.

The high street was busy full of people to and fro

and traffic rushing through as motorists on their journeys go.

Today it will be different, today is not the norm, though busy roads and people about their business go.

Outside the Town Hall and in the Market Place

groups of people gather some smile and wave the older men embrace.

Now the clock hands approach the eleventh hour

and through our town surges gratefulness you can feel it’s power.

For every shopper stops and stands and every coffee shop and bar is silent now because the clock bell tolls the hour.

The tills in the supermarkets and every shop are silent and with stationary shoppers filled

and even the mighty traffic is in it journey is stilled.

In silence I stood and watched this strangest but most merited tribute

and as ever I shed a tear as the old men took a salute.

Two minutes and it was over all trace of silence gone,

the shops are once more busy the stilled traffic now moves on.

I meet my friend and as in to Costa we go

I say a silent thank you to all those brave men and women who I do not know.

They fought , some gave their lives for me so I could be free, in Flanders , Turbrook and Tripoli,

on the Somme , Leningrad, Pearl Harbour and Helmand Province,

Iraq and Iran and many, many other places defended by a brave woman or a man.

I make no apology I will be politically in-correct for so many have offered up their lives and my life they still effect!

http://c.tadst.com/gfx/stock/remembrance-day.jpg

They fought against what ever foe that threatened our freedom to take and they often had to give the biggest sacrifice anyone  has to make.

I shall not forget them and neither should you

for without them you would not be free to do most of the things you do!

So on this 11th day at the 11th hour of this 11th month I stood  with many others to salute our soldiers, sailors and our airmen and many, many others. For they have given their all for us my sisters and my brothers.We owe them a THANK YOU.

THANK YOU

Special Cargo

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS8Jrg2W0q8oxmRlFHW2a3F1JQIYWQGkyQ9kOptmGiw7MA5Bf7G3A

Brightly you blossom and bloom now, as I once was  blessed to bloom

The life I brought forth loves you and you carry his seed in your womb.

Joy of joy life goes on and on such are the wonderful circles of life.

As us before you met young. I loved you then I love you now his wife.

No better gift can a man give a woman than to maker her a lover

No better gift can one woman give another than to make her a grandmother.

 

Thank you , thank you I will be here for you to give help and support

Only to step in if asked to stand back even if it hurts, to advice only if sort.

My time has passed no more can I bare fruit but I am woman

I was once  as girl as you were until now , this seed makes you woman

May you raise this gift  and love the love it chooses and feel as I do

I pray you are given this gift one day,  then you can look back and see my words were true,

THANK YOU .

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is a personal poem, I do not want women anywhere thinking I am saying you have to have children to be whole. That is not the case  a woman is a woman.

2 years and blogging still.

Today I received a trophy from WordPress, I do not need to do anything with it , just accept it.

So thank you WordPress. I have been blogging now for two years.  Thank you WordPress you saved my life.xxxxx

A Quiet Man

A tribute to my Father  1905 – 1976

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

He was a quiet man, he was a helpful caring man.

Handsome in his youth a dashing man,a fighter for rights.

A union man, a fighting for the under dog man, a “I’ll do it if I can man” .

He met my Mum, a wooing man, a handsome flashing eyed Irishman.

A black haired almost wild man, a stand up for what I am man.

A good man to trust your life to and my Mum did,

my Dad

He was an out in the open man. What see is what you get man, nothing  hid.

He worked hard he was a family man. A sturdy, bring home the wages man,

A giver, comforter a lover man. A home maker man some one to carry the can man.

A there until the end man.

He was a stern man, when you had done wrong, though he was a quick to praise man.

A happy to teach you a lessen in a song man. A teacher man,sometimes a preacher man

An always there when it counted man. He was a father of the bride man, and he handed all his daughters away.

He was the man who supported his sons when they became the married men.

 

He was a support man, and adviser man the lover of lilies of the valley man.

He was reunited with my Mum man when they saw us all gone.

He was a plain man to the end man, not a flourish and bouquet,

Nor a black magic man,an honest to the end man.

He was a deaf man, but he heard what was important man!

At the end, a blind man, in stature a tiny man in truth a giant man.

A truly missed man , a wish you where here man.

He is a gone but not a forgotten man.

Rescuse

http://www.snoron.com/

Reaching up stretching hard, hoping for strength

All seemed too much but a sisters words came at length.

Then a hand was offered from across the water

offering more help than I deserve . More than this girl ought -er .

Time to call on the red shoes , give me strength

saving hands from sister and across the pond are on same wave length.

Thank you, thank you I shall try to re spread my wings and fly.

Strength in truth, I shall find the strong me of my youth.

 

 

 

Thank You Friend

http://www.blogcatalog.com/

Our eyes met across the busy bus. Little did we know that it was just the beginning of us.

We were so young we did not know the future we had no idea of the paths we had stepped out upon.

We got off at the same stop and followed each other to the house, eye contact then smiles we had to laugh. We had we had both met our other halves . Brothers different yet the same would lead us a dance in life’s harsh game.

Through good and bad we lent support, shared the joys and comforted each other when life made us sad. Our friendship meant so much to me, sometimes  you were the only thing between insanity and me. I feel I did the same for you it was no chore I was happy to .

You have been the best friend to me always there when I have been in need of an ear to hear my woes or to share  some jokes that curl our toes. I don’t think we have had cross words , well at least none that I have heard. I know you got the hump that time I brought round the boys and you got  their Mumps I did not realize but the crime was mine!

You are a Grandma I am not but maybe one day I will  have use for  a travel cot? We can share each others joys I have seen your girl grow and you have done the same with my boys.

I just don’t know how else to say you have helped me through some of my darkest days just to know that you are near is enough to quell most fears. To know you are at the end of the phone or email is enough to make life’s horrors pale. I hope that you know that you can expect the same from me just snap your fingers and I shall be there for you ………… just try it and see.

I write these silly words for you, they are the best that I can do to say thank you to you.

http://www.ipernity.com/blog/joe

Genuine Blogger Award.

Thank You

Firstly I must say a belated thank you to Betty Hayes Albright     at Seasonings. For nominating me for the Genuine Blogger Award. As ever I am always delighted and surprised and not to forget grateful to receive an award.

There are no rules but I would recommend Betty’s blog  and I would like to nominate  a few wonderful blogs , please please do be upset if I have not put you down here you are all wonderful and you all deserve this award!

  zumpoems

Memo Blog

http://fallenelegy.wordpress.com/

poetry and persistence

friskybunny

vampireweather

Blank Pages

livingwithablackdog

hollyanne gets poetic

likethesunshone

zendictive

Words from my Soul

Lil Lady… Giant Brain

Verse Not Prose

granbee

Will Of Heart

rumpydog

WordsFallFromMyEyes

fourwindowspress

So here we are nearly at the end of the first month of 2012…… Nothing has changed so we all need to keep paddling like mad to just stay were we are! Let us pull together and see if we can move forward! Love to you all name or not named!! xxxxx