jazzy_dave | Poem Of The Week

Slightly different poet this time, the strangely named performance poet, Attila The Stockbroker , and the poem is called A Centenary War Poem for all those who went into that useless war of WW1.

cmcmck has put up quite a few WW1 poems on her site so this is the first and perhaps only one i shall add to the cataloger..

A centenary First World War poem for my father Bill, who fought at the Somme
A CENTENARY WAR POEM
For Bill Baine, 1899-1968

O What passing-bells for those who die as cattle?
Only the monstrous anger of the guns
And so some lines to spike centenary prattle:
These words a sole survivor soldier¹s sons.

My father Bill, born in Victorian England:
The sixth of January, 1899.
His stock, loyal London. Proletarian doff-cap.
Aged seventeen, he went to join the line.

Not in a war to end all wars forever
Just in a ghastly slaughter at the Somme -
A pointless feud, a royal family squabble
Fought by their proxy poor with gun and bomb.

My father saved. Pyrexia, unknown origin.
Front line battalion: he lay sick in bed.
His comrades formed their line, then came the whistle
And then the news that every one was dead.

In later life a polished comic poet
No words to us expressed that awful fear
Although we knew such things were not forgotten.
He dreamed Sassoon: he wrote Belloc and Lear.

When I was ten he died, but I remember,
Although just once, he¹d hinted at the truth.
He put down Henry King and Jabberwocky
And read me Owen¹s O Anthem For Doomed Youth.

O What passing-bells for those who die as cattle?
Only the monstrous anger of the guns.
And so some lines to spike Gove's mindless prattle:
These words a sole survivor soldier¹s son's.

22nd January 2014

I mention him because he was at the Glastonwick beer and music festival which is held near Shoreham once a year. Also, my friend ,Sharpie Bongo, whom is also a performance poet , sent me this pic of her enjoying the beer. Sod you gal, wish i was there lol.

bongo2