Mabel Ringe , a woman I had the honer to meet. Who became my mate , a friend. She was in her 90's. This is what she shared with me. This Mabel's story.
A girl from Norfolk
A girl not fore very long
A job as a Lady's gave her course not to curtsey
World war one finished her journey in to womanhood
Her first job was as a Lady's maid
The job did not last her long
And this is why
The year was 1914 or so
At the time no Tampax nor Dr Whites
Woman made do with rags
The Lady Mabel work fore
Instructed Mabel to wash her sanitary towel
Mabel lost it
Told the Lady '' lady , go wash it your self! ''
World one war was raging so many dieing
One of whom was her brother in law
He had come home recovering from wounds
Suffered in France
His brother and Mabel asked him begged him not to go back
He said '' I have to go back '' '' If I don't THEY will drag me back ''
'' And shoot me dead ''
'' I have no choice '' '' I have to go back ''
So he went back and yes he was killed
Mabel and her husband were devastated
Mabel decided to volunteer to be a VAD nurse
In France
When Mabel first arivde just a few graves lay outside
The hospital
With in a few months the hospital were surrounded
Graves , so many young men now lay in a Flanders field
Many had called Mabel mum , mother , sister , wife
As each one died , Mabel held there hands
Moped the sweat from their brows
Stroked , combed there hair
Gave them soothing words to help them on there way
When they finally died she called fore the orderless
'' He's , gone , take him ''
The orderless would go fetch a stretcher
Pull back the blankets
Lift up the newly dead put the lifeless body
Lay the body on the stained stretcher
The body taken to the osatory to await burial
To await burial not in a coffin , in an army blanket
Made fast by rope and string
Their family's would be charge the cost of the blanket later
Mabel had held the hands of so many in her time at the hospital
Seen arms , hands , legs feet , amputated , put in to sacks
Buried in a corner with no names
When a lad died , Mabel had to preparer the bed fore the next pore suffering
Man
Mabel took away the blankets always stained with blood , shit , piss and vomit
Dribble
Take away the pillows , each pillow told it's own story
Upon it had laid the head of a man in pain , dieing
Some hit by a bullet from a rifle bullets from a machine gun
Shrapnel , sharp , slicing off limbs
The head of a man a soldier , gassed with mustard , pepper , phosgene , chlorine
Chlorine , melts your the lungs , with in seconds
Start coughing , up comes up a frothy , foamy mix of blood lung membrane
Both the German and British army's used gas
Often gassing there own
All this and oh such more Mabel saw on the white starched pillows
She held close to her breast , her tears she shed in side of herself
Not the best of times to show her pain she felt as she held
Those pillows close to her breast
Fore as each day will bring more suffering young men
To lay their heads upon the newly washed and starched pillows
Ken D Williams The Dyslexic Poet
Poetry by ken d williams
Read 583 times
Written on 2012-04-21 at 16:49
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V A D NURSE WW1 MABEL RINGE HER STORY
Her name was Mabel Mabel RingeA girl from Norfolk
A girl not fore very long
A job as a Lady's gave her course not to curtsey
World war one finished her journey in to womanhood
Her first job was as a Lady's maid
The job did not last her long
And this is why
The year was 1914 or so
At the time no Tampax nor Dr Whites
Woman made do with rags
The Lady Mabel work fore
Instructed Mabel to wash her sanitary towel
Mabel lost it
Told the Lady '' lady , go wash it your self! ''
World one war was raging so many dieing
One of whom was her brother in law
He had come home recovering from wounds
Suffered in France
His brother and Mabel asked him begged him not to go back
He said '' I have to go back '' '' If I don't THEY will drag me back ''
'' And shoot me dead ''
'' I have no choice '' '' I have to go back ''
So he went back and yes he was killed
Mabel and her husband were devastated
Mabel decided to volunteer to be a VAD nurse
In France
When Mabel first arivde just a few graves lay outside
The hospital
With in a few months the hospital were surrounded
Graves , so many young men now lay in a Flanders field
Many had called Mabel mum , mother , sister , wife
As each one died , Mabel held there hands
Moped the sweat from their brows
Stroked , combed there hair
Gave them soothing words to help them on there way
When they finally died she called fore the orderless
'' He's , gone , take him ''
The orderless would go fetch a stretcher
Pull back the blankets
Lift up the newly dead put the lifeless body
Lay the body on the stained stretcher
The body taken to the osatory to await burial
To await burial not in a coffin , in an army blanket
Made fast by rope and string
Their family's would be charge the cost of the blanket later
Mabel had held the hands of so many in her time at the hospital
Seen arms , hands , legs feet , amputated , put in to sacks
Buried in a corner with no names
When a lad died , Mabel had to preparer the bed fore the next pore suffering
Man
Mabel took away the blankets always stained with blood , shit , piss and vomit
Dribble
Take away the pillows , each pillow told it's own story
Upon it had laid the head of a man in pain , dieing
Some hit by a bullet from a rifle bullets from a machine gun
Shrapnel , sharp , slicing off limbs
The head of a man a soldier , gassed with mustard , pepper , phosgene , chlorine
Chlorine , melts your the lungs , with in seconds
Start coughing , up comes up a frothy , foamy mix of blood lung membrane
Both the German and British army's used gas
Often gassing there own
All this and oh such more Mabel saw on the white starched pillows
She held close to her breast , her tears she shed in side of herself
Not the best of times to show her pain she felt as she held
Those pillows close to her breast
Fore as each day will bring more suffering young men
To lay their heads upon the newly washed and starched pillows
Ken D Williams The Dyslexic Poet
Poetry by ken d williams
Read 583 times
Written on 2012-04-21 at 16:49
Save as a bookmark (requires login) Write a comment (requires login) Send as email (requires login) Print text|
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