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

As the 11th of November is Armistice Day, 'k' has to stand for killed in action.
I thought of my father's father, who was a Sergeant in the Royal Engineers and died in 1918. And I came up with a poem.

REMEMBRANCE

In the solemn silence of November
we plant our poppies and remember.
You who drowned in shell-holes full of mud,
or gasped as every breath corrupted lungs
with poison gas, never lived to know
the payment of your youth and blood
bought little more than twenty years of peace.

In the solemn silence of November
we plant our poppies and remember
you who sweltered in the desert heat
in trucks that trundled over hidden bombs.
While you who lived with shattered limbs
now hear that planes with loads of men and tanks
may soon be landing on the soil you left.

In the solemn silence of November
we plant our poppies and remember
and beseech whatever gods we care to name
to spare the generations still unthought
from the legacy of grief and pain
of wars begun in error but bravely fought.

That's an amazingly moving poem, mvp

Deb

I think you are misnamed. You should be Majorvogonpoet, or just Majorpoet.

Lovely poem MVP

Thank you MVP - that was lovely.

Thanks.

Thank you, MVP.

[Amy P]