Foreign Fields

A modern poem about the First World War by Christopher Armstrong



British and French troops buried in a mass grave by German troops 1916/1917


Where are we going?

         To a foreign field son

Why are we going?

         My great-great-grandfather did

Why did he go?

         To serve King and Country

When did he go?

         In August of nineteen hundred and fourteen

Did he go alone?

         He went with a hundred thousand fellow Tommies

Did he come back?

         That is what this lone poppy is for

Where are we going?

         To place this lone poppy in a field of poppies

Why a field of poppies?

         For each who didn't return in nineteen hundred and eighteen

In a foreign fields?

         Yes son, in a foreign fields

 

Stone of Remembrance, the Buttes New British Cemetery, Belgium

Between 800,000 and over a million British men died during the Great War.  The sub-total for the British Empire is between 1,030,000 and nearly 1,250,000 soldiers.  The estimated total for all countries involved is over 15 million and over 17 million soldiers.  Unbelievable! 

Wilfred Owen was right is his war poem written between October 1917 and March 1918 Dulce et Decorum est:

The Old Lie: Dulce et Decorum est pro patria mori

In English translated from Latin:

The Old Lie: It is sweet and fitting to die for your country

What Owen wrote has been proven right in the past century till 1914 when wars becomes industrialized on unbelievable scales. 

 

Second Lieutenant Wilfred Owen Military Cross (MC) was killed in action on the 4th of November 1918 - a week before the 11th. 

Rover the Toy Dog and Benjamin Patrick from The Voice in the Wind

An extract of a story I'm hoping to write called The Voice in the Wind.  Ben is looking for a present for his sibling Rachel's eighth birthday. 


The little fluffy toy dog stood among three selves of fluffy dogs.  Each was as identical as identical twins are; small pair of black and grown eyes with ginger straw coloured fur with black paws, noses and ears.  Silver discs dangles from red collars flashing their identical names: Rover. 
       The little Rover stood on the middle shelf with the middle sized brothers with the smaller (and cheaper) brothers on the lower shelf below and the larger (and more expensive) brothers on the upper shelf above.  He has stood no just on the same shelf, but on the same shelf for the past week, the last of the order he was list before the re-orders were sent. 
       Straw haired and sea green eyed Benjamin Patrick step by step passed every book and toy shelf over and over in his late teen head the same question:
       "What would Rachel love to have for her eighth birthday?"
       Ben didn't bring his younger half-sister with him or he wouldn't get her out of the toy store.  He wished that he could remember when he was eight for ideas for what he could get for Rachel.  It was here that he spotted the Rover puppies. 
       He stopped and looked at the three selves, turning left and right and tilting up and down. The little Rover seemed to catch Ben's eye for Rover seemed to have a sense of longing for love.  The price was the full range of Ben's budget after getting a birthday card and some Irish music.  Gently Ben took hold of little Rover and headed for the till and paid the bill.  A bag was provided for. 
       "Rachel is going to love playing with you."  Ben smiled to the little fluffy dog as he placed it into the shop bag beside the card and CD.  "She will love you." 
       As Ben walked out of the shop door, the tune of "A Doggie in the Window" could be heard. 


I'm to expand on this.  I look forward to the comments. 

A New Chapter Begins

A poem about Inverness College UHI by Christopher Armstrong


With a walk through
         a railway station between
Midmills stand on high
         Longman stand in heart
Long history
         has Midmills
Once a school small
         now one piece of large
Shorter history
         has Longman
Standing in industry
         Many jobs are on offer
Even shorter history
         has Commission in Forest
On edge of city
         closer to learning of trees
Many years apart
         one more year apart
One year to join
         many hopeful years together
Found in one place
         more to learn in one place
One more year
         A New Chapter Begins