WE WILL REMEMBER THEM

In the year 1918
     at 11 a.m. on the 11th day
          of the 11th month
bells rang out 
    to signal the end of a war
          that had seen millions of lives lost.

After two years of lockdowns
    we are now able to gather again
          so today we remember 
               and are grateful
to those we know
     and to all those 
          whose faces 
               and names
are unknown to us
     but who were killed 
          or were left
bruised 
     crushed and
          bleeding
at the bottom 
    of a muddy trench
         with the stench
of death
    all around - 
What a waste
    of lives!

Someone's
    husband
         father
              son
                   brother 
                        fiancé 
Someone's 
     wife
          mother
               daughter
                    sister
                         fiancée
every one
     courageous 
          brave, heroic
               and dearly loved.

We think of the tear-stained faces
     of those who dearly loved them
but never saw them again
     after waving them off -
          those who never even
               had the chance to say
a last “Goodbye”
     (which reminds us too
          of those who died alone
               during the pandemic)

The freedom 
    they fought for 
         is real
              not abstract
freedom from fear 
    injustice and
         bigotry
freedom 
    to choose 
         to act and
              to speak out.

Today we will 
    remember and
         honour them
with love
    sadness   
         respect and
              gratitude.

Over a hundred years on
    the same questions
         are on our lips
              “Was it all worth it?" 
and
     "Have we learned anything 
         from the mistakes
              of the past?”

© Maureen Iles 

In memory of Mr. HCB's Uncle Ernest, who was killed in action on 10th July 1944.