In Thiepval's rows in line abreast
Subaltern Venner lies at rest,
Among those with whom he died in war,
Sacrificed - aged twenty four.
Not for him whispered words of love,
Instead, it's hoped he dwells above
With his pals, the angels among,
In timeless kinship ever young.
Today, of mind, he comes to mine,
My uncle - Ernest Valentine.
.............................................................
Don't fret JC - Harry deserves a reply.
I think E.V. Venner would not have wanted WW2 or any other such conflict but he was a product of a generation
that went to war driven by emotions and ideals we seem
to have lost - for good or bad.
As for the rise of the EU: its need to disguise itself via
a trading teaser to the overweening European Union,
with Germany & France leading the charge, has never
convinced me of its genuine concern for the various
peoples of Europe but rather a power grab that fed off
fears still fresh from WW2. I recall a letter to a broad
sheet 'paper about an interview of a senior WW2 Nazi
general by an allied intelligence officer in which the
former never lost his sense of self-possession, telling
his interrogator that this was not the end but a new
beginning. Fast forward to today's European Union led
by "guess who"? NATO has always been the true
guardian of our security and will remain so, and I am
worried that the power posturings of the EU (now
seeking its own army!) can only serve to bolster the
aggressive sabre-rattling of Russia (possessing an
historical paranoia about invasion) in response, with
so many recently embraced EU states on its borders.
Don't start him off, Harry lad!
A touching rememberance M.C..
But I can`t help wondering what the slaughtered kinship of the opposing sides `up there` think of what is now happening with the E.U. (Which was founded with the intention that such a thing would never happen again)
Excellent work, MC. And an unusual and imaginative take on Valentine's Day. Commemorating two loves. The one he would never have and yours for him.
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kJ Walker
Sun 19th Feb 2017 08:10
Getting back to the poem.
It was a well written, beautifully moving testament to your much loved uncle.
We all owe a great debt of gratitude to the likes of him, and we must "never forget".
Kevin.