When death is closer than home..."It's a long way to Tipperary"

Each knew his fate... With the 11th of the 11th looming time to give this oldie an airing

"Its a long way to Tipperary..."

A single voice the silence pierced
to drift through cordite air,
to rise above the clouds of death
forlorn, tinged with despair.

"Its a long way to go..."

Along the trench more voices joined
a choir now on death row,
ironic that they sang of home
for their fate they all did know.

"Its a long way to Tipperary..."

Across the mire where no man lived
o'er blood and stench and gore,
their song fell onto enemy
and through each heart it tore.

"to the sweetest girl I know..."

They'd be no winners in this war
only those that better fared,
a whole generations blooming youth
wars horror brutally pared.

"goodbye Piccadily..."

The brave who sang that fateful day
brothers, fathers, uncles, sons,
would perish going "over the top"
Scythed down by chattering guns.

"Farewell Leicester square..."

Now fields abloom with blood red flowers
blue skies, and larks on high,
remember the wanton sacrifice
of those that came to fight and die.

"Its a long, long, way to Tipperary,
but my heart's right there"

Reviews

[Lorry]

So very true and excellently worded. No winners, just lots of families broken apart and left to pick up the pieces. Love how you break each verse with the song, works brilliantly. Superb write.

[Gee]

Thank you kind sir, I will return the favour when home from site

[emmajoy]

This is utterly sadly beautiful... Although this war is 'merely' history to me, I've always found it to be the ugliest and most cruel.. so many men died, so many families left mourning for years and under the shadow of that song.. It'a near enough an anthem.. sets the spine tingling. What you've done here is very touching, using those lines before each of your own stanzas.

Have you ever seen the show.. or more so, the movie of Oh what a lovely war? Belonged to a Film Club at uni and saw many movies I'd never choose to see yet have never forgotten, that is one.. the final scenes are heartbreaking. Each and every one of your words is memorable but these are - precious..

'Now fields abloom with blood red flowers,
blue skies, and larks on high,
remember the wanton sacrifice,
of those that came to fight and die........ '

[Gee]

Got to say I'm gob smacked when I receive reviews such as this. Left school with very few poor graded qualifications and consider what I write to be simple rhyming verse using very basic language. I often wish I had the language skills of you and many others on here. Thank you kindly for such a kind review.

[emmajoy]

You have what hundreds or more do not have: an instinctive ability to do... whatever your imagination and mind dictates at a given time. Phooey to formality.. :)

[Gee]

I will remember that. Thank you kindly

[Great Aunt Astri]

Clever juxtaposition of verse and song. Hopefully they dies 'to go home'! perhaps.

[Gee]

Thanks........

[Norman T]

I envy your gift of using words that convey so much, Gee, You invariably use everyday examples in a way that so often escape us. This "translation" of a the old jingoistic song has conveyed the horrors and futility of war so graphically. Subtly brilliant.

Norman

[Gee]

You're very kind in your reviewing Norman,thank you

[Alias]

Wow, powerful, I'm sorry that I missed this on remembrance day. Wonderfully, tastefully written. Captures both the human tragedy, and the overarching pointlessness of war in general. Beautiful write :)

[Gee]

Thank you for your kind words,appreciated

[Beccy]

You are so right, there are never winners in war; even the 'victorious' lose some of their humanity along the way.

How sad, that mankind seems to be genetically programmed for conflict.

Powerful and compelling poetry.

Beccy.

[Gee]

Thanks Beccy

[jesserose99]

hey this is super interesting for me because I lived over there for 4 years, and those names I passed on the trains but never knew the past. What a poem...we never learn to stop violence in the future until we learn our past. Poems like this make history fun!

[Gee]

Thank you,probably stating the obvious,"Its a long way to Tipperary" was a popular music hall song during the first world war.

[William Gardner]

Well, you are either 130 years old or are a history buff! The stanza form is even an ode to early modernists. Much appreciation for what you are doing. I would submit that, although, you do break down and engage in a wee bit of nihilism- You have not gone full dada which was historically, and artistically, speaking the true mark of this epoch. The survivors of this war would not have held so tight- i.e. Leave no place empty in my ribs/Attend to all my holes!/Let the very night be the triumphant sojourn of your young eternity, the belly of jahveh will be my hunger!/His sex the survival/Of my annihilation. - Julien Torma. So my point being, you are engaging in the history, but holding too hard to the form. Cheers!

[Gee]

Thank you William,probably the most interesting review ever delivered on an effort of mine.Being unread,and with a limited education, I write mainly what pops into my head,quickly,( it shows) and often without reading through to check.Will check out Julien Torma as I am ever willing to improve.Thank you for taking the time to comment,it's very much appreciated.

[Jimmy Yetts]

Anti-war, yet a genuine tribute to those who sacrificed everything to eventually reinstate peace.
Peace costs blood; these mostly unknown men gave it.
Impressive poem!

[Gee]

Cheers....

[Alfred Kukitz]

Men in war is always close to my heart strings. A light touch to the abundant sorrows to come.

Regards,
Al

[Gee]

Thank you Alfred.