Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth of sun-split clouds,-and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of-wheeled and soared and swung High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there, I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung My eager craft through footless halls of air….
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace Where never lark nor ever eagle flew- And, while with silent lifting mind I’ve trod The high un-trespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand, and touched the face of God
*********
This poem was found in many of the Kriegies’ YMCA issued diaries. Written by John G. Magee on September 3, 1941. Magee was born in Shanghai, China, of missionary parents-an American father and an English mother, and spoke Chinese before English. He was educated at Rugby school in England and at Avon Old Farms School in Connecticut. He won a Scholarship to Yale, but instead joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in late 1940, trained in Canada, and was sent to Britain. He flew in a Spitfire squadron and was killed on a routine training mission on December 11, 1941. The sonnet above was sent to his parents written on the back of a letter which said, “I am enclosing a verse I wrote the other day. It started at 30,000 feet, and was finished soon after I landed.” He also wrote of his course ending soon and of his then going on operations, and added, “I think we are very lucky as we shall just be in time for the autumn blitzes (which are certain to come.
*********
This poem is almost a prayer. It is as soft and light as it contents and as deep and heavy as it contents, too. Full of references to cutting the bonds of earth, soaring high on emotions like laughter, delirium, joy mirth. Dancing flying swooping and flying higher than birds. Reaching the edge of space. Then that last line , a line that says it all for me . Where never lark nor ever eagle flew-And, while with silent lifting mind I’ve trod The high untrespassed sanctity of space,Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.
Such beauty written about such a deadly subject. Planes carrying bombs to flatten hillsides , villages, towns and cities……. Such a contradiction. Words of one who had not flown in war’s true theatre. If you would like to learn more about John G Magee read here
James Blunt a very underated songwriter and soldier who has fought in recent conflicts. Has a lot to say that is relivant today and to Remembrance Day and every day. Here are three of his songs, one about being on tour in Bosnia one about Lebanon and one about being an officer and having to inform family of death.
Today is the nearest Sunday to Remembrance Day here in the UK . Because of Covid 19 the Veterans will not be Marching. Also we will not forgetting all those men and women injured and killed in more recent conflicts.
I thought I would remember the women for WW1 and WW2 who took over all the jobs that the men who had been sent off to war left empty here in what was known then as Great Britain.
Not only did the women do these , sometimes very dangerous jobs but they looked after the families and homes. Now I do not wish in any way to detract from the huge sacrifice of all the men who fought for our countries during the two wars .
Remember the women left back home.
They made the ammunition for Tommy
Dangerous work,they died too it was not funny.
Women became officers of the law
Something never heard of before.
Nurses, drivers even pilots for planes
Remember them we will never know their names
Someone had to give the farmers a hand
Remember the men were at war in a foreign land.
The members of the ” fairer sex ”
Drove the buses, trains and lorries
Kept all essential job going , however complex
They also fed the family and kept the Home Fires Burning
During the wars ww1 and ww2 women filled in the gaps that the men who had been sent off to war left. It is not always remembered that they worked in the factorys drove buses trains and flew planes and probably sailed ships. They became members of the forces, nurses at home and on the war front too. They were also seconded into the police these jobs were almost unheard of for women before the first world war. They also had to do hard farm labour on the farms to help keep the food supplies going.
Women worked in shipyards, built planes and also made ammunition, hard and dangerous work.
It was not just the fact that the bombs , shells or landmines could explode if mishandled but the TNT was dangerous to the women’s health.
” Munitions workers whose job was filling shells were prone to suffer from TNT poisoning. TNT stood for Trinitrotoluene – an explosive which turned the skin yellow of those who regularly came into contact with it. The munitions workers who were affected by this were commonly known as ‘canaries’ due to their bright yellow appearance. Although the visible effects usually wore off, some women died from working with TNT, if they were exposed to it for a prolonged period. As Ethel Dean, who worked at Woolwich Arsenal, recalled, ‘Everything that that powder touches goes yellow. All the girls’ faces were yellow, all round their mouths. They had their own canteen, in which everything was yellow that they touched… Everything they touched went yellow – chairs, tables, everything.’ (IWM SR 9439) More imformation here
Women did so many jobs that before the first world war, those of the middle and higher class would never even contemplated. Many died of injury and of disease due to chemicals, asbestos used in badly ventilated buildings.
What a state this world is in. We have a dying planet, choked up with emissions, and strangled with plastic and waste. Now I am sure the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are here. I wrote the poem / story below some years ago. I thought things were bad then yet nothing has improved infact it’s worse. So I have revamped the story today!
IS IT REALLY TOO LATE?
Time was late, the day was cold the doors of the coffee shop suddenly flew apart
The scene from the street was enough to stop your heart.
Four horse men
Slowly and silently approached along the street.
No one could of known, this was the place they had assigned to meet.
As this strange apparition it’s progress did make,
It left fights and hunger and deathly illness in it’s wake.
Where once was the normal order of life
Was suddenly killing and gorging, sickness, death and strife.
Stopping their horses and dismounting as one
They found a spare lamp post their magnificent animals to leash upon.
One of their number scanned the street “No parking meters ….sweet”
They entered the coffee shop and two fights broke out
And terrible hunger and thirst spread about.
Terrified customers died in the rush for the door
People started to sicken with rashes and pustules and what’s more there was blood and guts all over the floor.
Death motioned the others to get a table
As he addressed the barista, a sickly lad and ordered “four Americanos and a bagel!”
The boy felt so weak as he looked in to the eyes of Death fear gripped his throat
The rest of his staff were in the same boat lost and helpless’ bereft of hope!
Setting down the tray and handing Famine his food,
“I wanted espresso “griped War in a mood.
Death raised his scythe and told him to mind his place.
For he had the last word and was in charge of this space!
Finally with the local humans all dead
They sipped quietly on their coffee, just for now doing what their leader had said.
After a short while Conquest / Pestilence looked up
And asked “is this coffee fair trade” as he finished his cup.
Famine smirked at the joke his brother had made.
“I need another , where is the barista ” Death answered ” He died”…… “Okay” Famine sighed
Coffee over, decisions needed to be made
How to deal with this world’s problem. Plans had to be laid.
“I think I should simply traverse this world
And make them their missiles unfurl,”
Said War before adding “with you, Death in my wake,
How long would total annihilation take?”
“No “chipped in Pestilence I can spread my cloak and make them all suffer.
I have a new toy Corvid 19
It favours the old and sick , it very keen.
You can then step in Death, as they choke and splutter.”
War banged the table ready to fight
But Death stepped in knowing his way was right .
Looking around brothers do you not agree
They are doing an excellent job of destroying themselves without any help from you or me.”
He saw they were not happy with his interventions
So he enlightened them all with ghastly intentions .
“We need to just hover on the sidelines and leave them to fester.
It will all end soon, this planet cannot sustain forever these hopeless jesters!
They thought for a while while Death entertained them, with his fiddle
Like Nero back when Rome was burning. but not such giggle.
The decision was made and they all agreed
They would just make thing worse for all those in need .
They would feed the wars and starve the medical fractions,
Of knowledge and money.
They would disease the corn the milk and the honey.
Death would stalk the world in his usual way
Clearing up the mess and dead at the end of the day.
They then left the scene of their destroying powers
Riding off together into the west leaving death and destruction and lots of wilting flowers .
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The News papers and TV got the story the very same day.
“Police want to question four hoodies on horse back ” they say.
There is a witness a child who manage to hide and lived to tell what they had seen.
Apparently strange horses, one white,one red, one black and one pale green?
This made the headlines all over, for a day, well maybe one day more
Then it is back to Famine and Plague in Africa and the States and UK to step into yet another War!
The Greens are screaming we must save Mother Earth
Unknowing that she already dancing a dirge with Death.
.
Death sat in a corner and polished his scythe and pondered the meeting that morning,
Well he had at least tried to buy these humans ( for whom he actually cared) some time .
But even holding off his brothers, of hope there still was no sign.
He was tired of all the work he had to do,
Exhausted in fact, and his brothers were too.
The task set before them was too great for them to solve ..
Hopefully God will intervene and those irritating humans will evolve !
As the Apocalyptic quartet rode off claiming souls
They were laughing at humans all bulk buying toilet rolls.
All that paper won’t help them survive
With plague’s new new virus, no amount of loo roll will keep them alive.
For visually challenged writers, theimage shows a landscape wearing a light dusting of snow. From the hill, where skeletal heather and brown grasses pierce the snow, a valley spreads out below, lit by the rays of a pale sun.
After the noise of the battle earlier the silence cut like a knife. The snow was doing a good job of covering the dead and dying. From nowhere came silver rays from the sun bathing the valley in an almost gentle way.
It seemed almost impossible that only at dawn she had stood on the horizon looking toward the castle wondering what was to come. There had been no snow or cold when she had arrived. The witches still held sway over the climate around the castle. Yet as she had stood in the early morning warmth wondering about her future she had felt the temperature drop and seen the white of the Vampire winter approaching.
Realising there was no time to waste she ran to the castle altering those within to the incoming danger. Not bothering to morph from wolf to human she bounded up the stairs howling. She halted at the sight of Ewan, relieved to see he was back to his old irritating self! He confirmed this by patting her head. ***********
The men, dwarves and elves were ready, Rachel told Ewan that the warewolves were on their way. Everything was set and ready, the battle was nigh.
The snow and ice covered the ground silently, it didn’t fall from the sky it was just there. The temperature plummeted, the men’s breath frosted their beards as they saddled their horses, the dwarves drew their cloaks about them against the cruel wind, their axes glinting in the pale morning light. The elves lined the turrets their quivers full of wooden arrows tipped with silver.
The men on horses rode out across the draw bridge and lined up outside the castle in a phalanx the others formed a line infront of then with their spears and weapons raised. Not one of these brave men had ever fought vampires before. The dwarves were ready inside the gates singing and banging drums. The women, children and the old were all inside the castle praying to their gods . Alicia, Lisa and Rachel stood on the ramparts with the elves.
Then of a sudden a whispering, a screaming, a moaning carried across the valley and up the hill towards the castle. “They are here” shouted Alicia, “where” shouted the men. Too late they were upon them , bodies flew around, and were torn apart, men’s and horse’s hearts ripped out and thrown upon the ground. The vampires were invisible they picked the men off simply and cruelly. Within minutes men lay dead and dying, disemboweled, quartered some just drained of blood.. The elves fired into thin air and many arrows met their mark, revealing the evil vampires, writhing and screaming as they caught on fire then turned to dust.
Not a man was left standing not one survived the carnage. All the while the vampires fill the air with their screams and threats.
Hope stirred in her cot, she visualised the Vampire hoards and broke their veil of invisibility. The Elves took aim and fired their arrows up into the sky from where they rained down on the the enemy. The dwarves now came into their own as each vampire swooped at them they used their honed weapons to decapitate as many as they could. Sadly the dwarves took heavy losses.
Lisa and Alicia felt Hope’s power and they joined with her willing the sun to shine at its brightest and hottest. Slowly their powers joined and the warmth in the sun turned into heat. The elves could see the younger vampires crawling up the castle walls and taking advantage of the light they shot at them mercilessly. Rachel looked out to the plains where she saw that the hoards of Vampires were still massing. All was lost how could they cope how could the beat these numbers? The humans barring the women, children and old all dead, all gone. The Dwarves were valiantly holding the castle but for how much longer!
Then a miracle happened the Vampires began to feel the effects of the sun.. they began to burn, black dust from them coated the snow. Their war screams turned to wails of anguish and pain as they died.
The order from the ancients went up R
“Retreat, Retreat” and soon the sky was full of retreating and burning vampires.
After the noise of the battle earlier the silence cut like a knife. The snow was doing a good job of covering theb dust and human dead and dying. From nowhere came silver rays from the sun bathing the valley in an almost gentle way. The heat was gone and the cold had returned. The vampires had gone for now they would be back at night.
Hope stirred in Lisa’s arms as her power subsided so did her mother’s and Alicia’s. “Sleep for now Hope my darling” whispered Lisa, ” they shall not have you” The child smiled in her sleep.
To be continued.
If you wish to read Lisa’s and Rachel’s story up to this point you can find it here.
For visually challenged writers, theimage shows the dark silhouette of an island in a shimmering lake, surrounded by shadowy hills. The sun is breaking out from behind the clouds in rayed splendour
Rachel stands on the shore of the lake looking across to The Island and Ewan’s castle. It dark and cold, so cold, she shivers. She is lost, her lover gone, her baby gone, her enemies almost upon her, she shivers. Then suddenly the first silver rays of dawn reach through the clouds and shimmer on the lake.
Shimmer Silver hope spreads out like fingers Rippling the waters of life. The fear of the dark still lingers Clouding our minds and causing strife The future is outlined dark , black For now we have the moment The past full of all we lack. The War is upon us in earnest What will the dawn bring?
For visually challenged writers, theimage shows a woodland scene with a dusting of snow and the sun, rising as a rayed orb through the boughs of a tree.
The Light.
Many miles away from where Thraun had taken Rachel, Lisa and Alicia where traveling through the wilds. Gathering as many men, dwarves and elves as they could find to join with them in the fight against the vampires.
Lisa turned to Alicia and they spoke as one, ” Thraun has delivered Rachel, she is with her kind. ” “Yes” said Alicia, ” I hope she has more good luck than we are having.” The two witches had travelled miles and seen hardly anyone on their journey who was either fit or willing enough to join them. So far they had only found fifty men, ten of which were women and children, a score of draves but no elves. Their hope was that the elves were all together and marching to meet then as promised.
The harsh winter was taking its toll on everyone and everything. It was all the harsher for being an unholy winter not a natural one. Lisa shielded her eyes against the winter sun, shed turned to Alicia and asked, ” The news Corvus brought us about the death of Mathew, is it definitely true? ” Alicia reined her steed in and looking Lisa in the eyes replied quietly. “Yes quiet true and sadly Rachel knows the time and manor of his passing. Though as it came to her in a dream she may choose to ignore it for now.”
Lisa felt such pain for her friend Rachel who had lost so much, her lover and her child.
The witches carried on in silence. Cold and tired but not defeated. Back at the Castle Ewan was making progress, gaining strength, regaining his memory of the terrible battle. Luckily his mind was processing the information this time. He was regaining his strength ready for the next battles.
Which each dawn he greeted the stragglers that arrived through the castle gates, either by chance or by the witches guidance. All who arrived at the gates were fed and found lodgings and trained by those soldiers true and valiant who had survived that evil battle.
Rachel stood on a hill miles away looking towards the weak winter sun, as did Ewan from his castle Ramparts. They were imploring the fates for a miracle.
The two witches approached a copse where they could see men, many men. The two stoppeda looked toward the trees where the sun was shining through. Like a beacon. Afraid to admit to eachother what they saw masses of men, drawves and by far the most welcome sight, beautiful tall blonde haired blue eyed elves.
The sun glowed like an orb through the trees like hope spreading it’s light. At once the witches, Rachel Ewan and Calador the elf all communed with the light. Their souls flew up the light and travelled far above the world. There they met and felt the warmth of millions of souls past, present and future. They were all gathered up in the warmth and before they left the holy place they felt and received new strength and hope.
One by one they returned to their bodies, Rachel last as she had found the beautiful and newly whole soul of Mathew there.
Once they were all back in their reality they were happy in the knowledge of being one. And so every group now marched toward the Castle and the stronger Ewan. The four remaining races united and ready to face the Vampires. All full of hope.
*********
To be continued.
If you wish to read Lisa’s and Rachel’s story up to this point you can find it here.
They were so brave, so very young Their journey had not yet begun. Blindly they marched into the guns To a last roll call at the setting sun. They had family and loved ones They all marched off as friends They left their homes full of hope Most would not be back again.
Why Argue Both were brave Each had their own Principles to up Hold. Neither less than bold. One would carry a weapon The other a stretcher, no gun Both men died for their own held beliefs They were both lost and that loss brought much grief. ———
From the beginning of time up until now and way in to the future war prevails. I believe we will never be free of war.
What we can do is remember those who have given their health or their lives for us to hopefully live better lives. I say Thank You.
For visually challenged writers, theimage shows a path between an avenue of trees. Shadows from hidden sunlight fall across the path, but mist obscures the way forward…
Destination.
When morning took hold it was bright but very misty. Calador shivered as he watched the mist roll up to the ramparts obscuring the road ahead. Though there was sunlight is was pale and held no warmth. The trees that lined the road cast shadows across the short distance he could see.
Wrapping his cloak around him Calador felt the damp but above that he felt a dark menace that he could neither see nor pinpoint. The mist enveloped him, in it he heard the voices of thousands of Vampires, evil beyond his darkest dreams, and humans and animals screaming.
Just as this grew unbearable something touched him on the shoulder, he jumped. Swinging round dagger drawn and ready to defend himself he was shocked to see his sister, Erin.
Wide eyed she stepped back “What is it” she asked, “Are you afraid of your own shadow” she suddenly stopped speaking, hearing the voices in the mist too.
A wind suddenly threw them together, Calador dropping his dagger so as not to stab his sister. The wind dropped as suddenly as it has arisen and the two elves stood in the silence, the voices and the mist all gone.
*********
Lisa stood looking out of the castle window and watched a new day dawn over the loche, Hope, to all intent and purpose, was sleeping peacefully in a basket by the fire. The child was asleep but in her sleep she was watching over everyone.
Ewan burst in the door making Lisa turn to face him. He bowed and bade her good morning, “Has the wolf returned yet” he asked. “Not yet” Lisa replied, “But I sense she is on her way” Ewan shouted for the women who worked in the kitchen and asked for some food to be brought up as quickly as possible. This done he woke the sleeping boy by the fire and told him to stoke it up.
Lisa sighed with relief as she saw a huge wolf approaching the drawbridge. Passing through all the troops that were eating and readying themselves for the long march to meet the elves. None of the soldiers or their women approached the wolf as she loped through their mist, a few dogs fell in behind her but she saw them off with a look.
Ewan met her at the bottom of the stairs with a robe, he dropped it to the floor and shouted, ” I hope it’s your colour” as he retreated up the steps.
Rachel growled but her yellow eyes turning blue as she transformed once more to her human self, smiled. She put on the robe an electronic blue edged in gold.
Joining the others she ate heartily. After their meal it was decided that she and Lisa would accompany Ewan and the army of men to meet the elves and that Hope was to stay at the castle in care of the cook and her husband, two of Ewan longest serving and most trusted servants. The cook and her husband already had a large family of ten children, what better place to hide this special child. In a large and loving family.
Preparations underway to leave early the next morning Rachel went to sleep while Lisa cradled Hope and told her why she had to leave her here , the child already knew, she knew everything. Soon Lisa too was sleeping tired after the nights vigil.
No one, except maybe Hope knew what lay ahead or where their destination was.
******
To be continued.
If you wish to read Lisa’s and Rachel’s story up to this point you can find it here.
I was very interested to receive this challenge from Jim Adams. (You can read his entry here)
Here are the Rules.
1: You need to choose a verse from a song and use it in an original poem or story.
2: You must include the name of the song and the singer at the end or beginning.
3: You need to challenge someone else and invent ONE rule they need to follow.
4 You must credit the person who started this challenge (a.k.a. PJ – I’m sorry for the inconvenience) and the person who challenged you, which was Jim Adams.
Thank you for the challenge Jim and your new rule that the song I use must contain the word ribbon in it.
So here goes. I did not want to use the obvious, Scarlett Ribbons, because I really do not like that song.
So I have gone for the song Ribbons by the group, The Good the Bad and the Queen. The Good, the Bad & the Queen, comprisingDamon Albarn,Paul Simonon,Simon TongandTony AllenTheir first album The Good the Bad and the Queen debuted at number two in theUK Albums Chartand was certifiedGoldin the UK within days of its release despite little media recognition and airplay.In the United States, the album entered theBillboard200at No. 49. In October 2018, it was confirmed that the band’s official name is The Good, the Bad & the Queen after they announced their second album,Merrie Land. It is from this second Album that I have chosen the track, composed by Damon Albarn, Tony Allen, Paul Simonon, Simon Tong and Tony Visconti.
The lyrics are in the video.
Ribbons of War.
Out of the blue
Come the arrows that kill me and you.
Dance round the maypole while you can
Wear your coloured ribbons pray for your man.
The king’s men are fighting below the hill
Wearing their colours as the enemy’s blood they spill.
Dance in the morning feel the warmth of life
You’ll be wearing black ribbons by dark tonight.
The Queen in the castle the King on the hill
It’s the peasants of the fields the ribbons and arrows will kill.
Horses and maypoles carry ribbons blue, red, white green and black.
Flowers will bloom, in glorious dawn
Planted for the dead by those left to mourn.
***********
So there is my little anti war poem about Ribbons. I think I may of stretch the rules by using more than one verse but I do love the lyrics of the song.
