THE DAY MY CHUM DIED! Parts 1 & 2 (WW1)
1Today my chum died, nothing I could do to help him!
Died - not a hero's death - died a soldier's - death - that's a matter of fact!
Court by a stray shell - ironically - it were one of ours!
Died slowly how slowly he died in my arms that day - not as Kipling wrote of
Not a glories death! Yes, a solders death - that's certain!
His death not clean without pain, not an instant death!
Not in a bed, with crisp white sheets, warm blankets
His only were to be the blanket - the one that were his shrowded - army issue - body tied up with rope!
Has, I will tell his family in my letter I'll and the officer will write - to Berts - wife
NO! My chum died slowly - in great pain - in his own filth - he died!
A shell splinter disemboweled my chum - another splinter had slashed off his face
The splinter were hot - so his face wound did not bleed - Bert - dispite these - Wouds DID NOT DIE - QUICKLEY - HE - HUNG ON TO HIS LIFE - POOR BARSTEAD!
He were gergaling - wanted to talk - had no tongue - no mouth - to say any words with!
No, I'll say - their, Bert, shot in his hart, died instantly, his death, clean!
Well what you write to Berts, family, his old mum, his siter, his wife, she had a kid!
2
On arriving back in Ramsgate on leave. I decided, I'd best go see, Bert's family.
I detrained, the station it were on the sea front back then. I were still in me uniform, caked with the mud of Flanders fields, I still had, Bert's blood on me trousers and jacket! I lived with me mum and dad in Hearson road, Bert, family lived in St. Luke's Avenue, just down from the Church. I gave a lad a shilling, to take my kit to me, though already sent them a letter, from France. I passed the curtain's drawn window.
With a heavy hart I lifted up the doorknocker. Let the knocker, down, I heard it sound, to me it sounded proper loud. No one at first came to answer my knocking. So I knocked again, at last the door opened, there stood Bert's - sister.
'' Oh it is you then!'' ''Why are YOU standing there -why aint our Bert!''.
She shut the door in my face! I when off to me mums and dads house.
ken d williams
The Dyslexic Wordsmith
Poetry by ken d williams
Read 562 times
Written on 2017-11-16 at 13:13
Save as a bookmark (requires login) Write a comment (requires login) Send as email (requires login) Print text
