November mud churns round our feet
At 11 that morning the gunfire ceased
The 11th day, the first day of peace
When we turned our boots to home.
Trench coated ghosts in uniform grey
Our world’s colour up to that day
Though the rain and mud still held sway
Dulce et decorum est pro patria morie
Who would welcome back the damned?
We asked ourselves in no mans land
To what could we now turn our hand?
Could we turn guns to ploughs?
Horses would bolt at our smell
And from the sound of the unclean bell
Salt of the earth or fiends from Hell?
Death’s hands are ever open.
The years wash over hearth and home
Poppy flames crackle and warm his bones
Tommy’s in his chair at midnight all alone
In a land where the heroes rot.
Author notes
1 DULCE ET DECORUM EST - the first words of a Latin saying (taken from an ode by Horace). The words were widely understood and often quoted at the start of the First World War. They mean "It is sweet and right." The full saying ends the poem: Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori - it is sweet and right to die for your country. In other words, it is a wonderful and great honour to fight and die for your country.
Favourite word: Decorum; Appropriateness of behaviour or conduct.
A contest entry
- Memories of Sacrifice - Winklings #142 by Lyndon.
1750 points, ended November 17, 2008, 15 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Poetry Checklist by Polaja.
1200 points, ended December 2, 2008, 12 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Comments
1 - 8 of 8
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This is an interesting piece - I like the sentiments that you have portrayed here
although I think the line "Our world’s colour up to that day" doesn't really fit with the flow of the rest of the poem. All in all though I did like this poem and it is a bittersweet dedication to the war heroes
Thank you for your entry
Polly
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The imagery is strong and this is well-rhymed.
Good one,
Bill
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"Death's hands are ever open" certainly encapsulates the horror of all wars. I would have preferred a more consistent meter, but the rhyme and message were well done.
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Vivid! All the best to you this Remembrance Day.
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Wowzers, really stark imagery, reminds me of a documentary I watched the other day where they were trying to turn fighters into farmers! well done,
good piece,
Floorboards.
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Great poem,
Although I am against the romantasism of war, especially modern day war. There is nothing romantic about young men being mowed down by gunfire. No- I am not agaisnt war, its a sad nessisity in this world. Here is a poem writen by a soldier in world war one-
Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs,
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots,
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame, all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of gas-shells dropping softly behind.
Gas! GAS! Quick, boys! — An ecstasy of fumbling
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time,
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling
And flound'ring like a man in fire or lime.—
Dim through the misty panes and thick green light,
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.
In all my dreams before my helpless sight
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.
If in some smothering dreams, you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin,
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs
Bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues, —
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.
-Wilfred Owen
Even though I disagree with the message, the imagry, flow, and rhyme are top class - keep up the good work.
~Going for top comments, I'm to poor to applaud~
~ Please stop by and read my poems ~ -
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The poem you quoted is Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori by Wilfred Owen. I used the phrase in the poem purely because it was a rule of the contest. i agree war can be a necessary evil, but this particular one was a pointless obscenity that achieved nothing.
Glad you liked the poem and thanks for the kind words
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A Beautiful Poem
This was breathtaking and touches the heart. Thank you for sharing the author's notes too.
Your imagery portrays such truth and how peace is never peacful in the mind after war and conflict. for many soldiers. Thank you for sharing. I am glad I stopped and found this. It gives me reason to pause and reflect on many things.
Take care
Blessings,
Sandy
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