Poems, Prose and Prayers
In passing years, schoolchildren have applied their writing skills to their thoughts and feelings on war. They share them with you in this Anthology of Poems, Prose and Prayers.
Crimson and Khaki
by Ophelia Watts
A nurse revisits the site where she cared for the wounded and dying after 10 years.
The Somme’s Poppy
by Tabitha Illife
The night is slowly dying and the sun is on its way,
The boys are now gradually awakening in their own time,
But to what? Nothing other than hunger, terror and death.
Now the bugle solemnly plays Reveille,
In remembrance of those who are not forgotten,
But life goes on still, before the fight begins, and lives are lost.
On the battle ground, No-mans-land,
A flower has bloomed into the only beauty,
The Somme’s beauty, the Somme’s poppy,
It was the colour of our fallen brothers’ blood,
All the boys saw it; some had tears in their eyes.
And though the war continues, yes, more death, terror, danger,
We cannot ever predict when we shall fall and fade
But we still fight for what’s right, our freedom, our life,
As for the poppy, it still thrives and grows
In remembrance of our fallen heroes,
I shall always remember our brothers and the Somme’s poppy.
The Soldier
by Bella Jacob
The thoughts of a soldier, moments before “going over the top”.
Guilt
by Olivia Ballard
A letter to his mother by a young German Soldier, who thinks himelf a coward and feels guilty for letting her, his Kaiser and his Country down.
Countdown to Zero
by Candace Holloway
A soldier describes the moments just before and just after the detonation of the explosives that created the Crater.
Dairy of Oberleutnant Freudenberger
by Aalish Watts
A German lieutenant looks back on the events of 1 July 1916.
