Thank you, Flyntland. War drags people down.

Comment is about Dotted Line (blog)

Original item by Stephen Gospage

having read your poem I can't help but think about those old photos. of the 'Palls' before they went off together, to fight together, and be killed together.
They were sad little groups of uneducated and underfed young men - these days they would be described as boys - looking unhappy and shocked and wearing ill-fitting uniforms, standing together in mean cobbled streets.

What cynical mind dreamed up that way of getting recruits?

Comment is about Dotted Line (blog)

Original item by Stephen Gospage

Thank you for your kind comments and analysis of the poem, Rolph. I remember Larkin's take on the First World War call up : 'As if it were an August Bank Holiday lark'. Perhaps it seemed like that, for a while.

And thanks to everyone who liked this poem.

Comment is about Dotted Line (blog)

Original item by Stephen Gospage

Stephen,
The way you describe the experience of signing up for war, filled with initial enthusiasm and a lack of understanding, effectively highlights the gap between expectation and reality. The shift from the excitement of enlistment to the harshness of combat is striking, especially in the lines about the violence and the abandonment felt by those who serve. The reflections on the aftermath, the survivors left to ponder the fate of those lost, add a poignant layer to the narrative. Your poem offers a powerful perspective on the personal toll of war, capturing both the immediate and long-term emotional impacts. Great work!
Cheers,
Rolph

Comment is about Dotted Line (blog)

Original item by Stephen Gospage