h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

For my grandparents brothers....


I remember him saying,
“Don’t mean to sound funny,
Don’t mean to be mean,
But there’s no way on God’s earth
You’ll pass for sixteen!”

I remember replying,
“Was sixteen in March, Sir,
I swear on my mother!
Ask Stan, over there, Sir,
He’s my elder brother”

I remember those lies told,
Deemed able and willing,
We signed on the line,
Received the King’s Shilling.

I remember my birthday,
So frightened and cold.
In a trench far from home,
Now just sixteen years old.

I remember the next one.
The guns just won’t stop.
Dreading the order
To go Over The Top.

I remember us falling,
At a place called Vimy.
We gave our lives for our country.
So you can be free.

Will our lives be forgotten?
Our poor Stan and me?
One hundred year later?
Fallen leaves on your tree?

Nice poem.

Later this year, we're likely to face a lot of publicity about the 100-yea anniversary of the Armistice. I suppose I will want to reread "Birdsong" and listen to Harry Lauder and George M Cohan songs. Maybe listen to some music by Butterworth and listen to the musical setting of Siegfrie4 Sassoon's setting of "Everyone suddenly burst out singing" (He was spontaneously inspired to write the poem when he heard that the Great War had just ended.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4y1wCkNwtuc

Thanks Paul

D Day too!

I'm confused about how D Day figures into it.

For someone as good with words as you, Paul, it seems a strange thing to say "face a lot of publicity" regarding Armistice Day. As opposed to words such as commemoration, remembrance, etc.

The concept of "publicity" in this context seems quiet alien at least to us Brits who were brought up on the War Poets and have war memorials on every street corner.

Still, the viewpoint varies from country to country. Here in Germany there are, of course, War Memorials in every village square, too, but they have no idea what happened in the first world war - it wasn't taught in schools back when my contemporaries were children. In 2014, driving back from England to Germany, we passed the exit to Ypres on the motorway in Belgium. My husband couldn't understand why I wanted to take the exit and see how they were dealing with the centenary commemorative year. The name meant nothing to him.

Sorry FWR - loved your poem. In the war poets tradition. Well done.

Thanks for comments. Obviously viewpoints differ, good point TC.

I think maybe some of us with family/personal ties to the military tend to be more aware of the sacrifices normal young men and women make for us all, no matter which country they serve.

Let's hope there may one day be no more need for memorials. For anyone, anywhere.

If I ever get shot, it will be for something I said (or wrote), not something I did. The English language provides about 500,000 words with which I can tie myself up....

Welcome to mt world! Only 500,000 though mate? Wait til you stand before the firing squad in the horrifying world of bad punctuation.....

Thank you for posting this

My Grandfather fought in WW I and my Father in WW II. Although neither one of them talked much about their service, I remember a few Sunday afternoons when they compared experiences. I don't think they knew that any of us were listening, but we learned at great deal about, what is now, only history.

In the US we have two distinct clubs for veterans, the American Legion and the VFW. (Veterans of Foreign Wars).

My Grandfather was a loyal member of the VFW, he explained that when he returned from combat all the officers in the Legion were former American Civil War soldiers who controlled the club rules and events. As the Civil War was fought only in this country they were not eligible for membership in the VFW. My Father, on the other hand. was a staunch supporter of the Legion because the VFW was controlled by the WW I veterans

Two of my favorite WW I songs are 'The Green Fields of France' and 'The Band Played Waltzing Matilda'

My favourite that came out of the First World War, mainly for the second verse:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y136871kHJw

My mom's dad was in that war. I never met him - he died a couple of weeks before I was born - but we'd find old photos in drawers and ask about his 'doughboy' outfit.

I think that Holst used that theme in his "The Planets."

You think right. He adapted it for a hymn by request.

Glad I've sparked some other memories, thanks for the comments folks.

Sorry, I keep forgetting that a thread can be someone's personal journal.

And, this journal started with a wonderful poem . The least I could do is write a poem that picks up some of the vibrancy of the orignal. I must be off to see what I can do