When Winston Churchill took over as British Prime Minister in 1940, his first speech to the houses of parliament.
'You ask what is our policy? It is this. To wage war, total war. We will give it back to them bomb for bomb a thousand fold'


Orange Moonlight by M.A.Meddings

My own father served as a member of the RAF's bomber command during the second world war. During which he flew a full tour of bombing raids over Germany.

He took part in the raids on Koln and Hamburg and he never ever got over those experiences.

He spoke little of the war but told me once in a moment of reflection, that as his aircraft a Lancaster bomber crossed the coast of Northern Europe they could see the orange glow in the sky from the firestorm that was the result of the first wave attack on Hamburg.

This poem is about the effect on the civilian population of Germany and elswhere.

Orange Moonlight

by M.A.Meddings

You could see it
the glow in the night Sky
A firestorm in hell
Just as we crossed the coast
With the cargo of death
Lancaster borne revenge
Bomb for bomb
A thousand fold
wage total war
We were told
And we did
Unflinchingly
Just as they did
But no one cared
For civilian dead
In Koln or Hamburg or
Dresden
Or even Bhagdad
Orange moonlight





Poetry by lastromantichero The PoetBay support member heart!
Read 586 times
Written on 2006-08-03 at 13:44

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kath
My father like yours was part of that war in England, and they never came over it ...... the meaningless loss of innocent lives, taken att random, all those immages of pain and agony.... My father was a young boy of sixteen and served on the mercant vessles ....... his father went to fight in world war one as a soldier only fourteen years old ....

Thank you for letting their hurt becoming words for us to remember, the price people pay in wars ......... and they continue ............ regards Kath
2006-08-07


Teala
Haunting, vivid imagery that will stay with me! BRAVO!!
2006-08-05


Troll
wow, not what i was expecting from the title of orange moonlight... just thunderous, jarring, the thoughts presented here...

i love the wording you use throughout, this is an outstanding poem. :)
2006-08-05


Zachary P. B.
Beautiful poem, dear poet.

Definitely a work of art, from within your heart. And thank you for sharing what your father shared with you.

Wonderful,
Z
2006-08-04


F.i.in.e Moods The PoetBay support member heart!
this breaks my heart... once again with your smooth delivery of emotions on such a horrible reality you put a mind in the middle of what the people living through the war have held sights of and what they've been through... the orange moonlight makes it deeply sad for me 'cause i'm imagining this setting so vividly... i can't even begin to extrapolate on how i'd have come out of all this (if i'd been there and survived, that is)... moving and as always sensitive... thanks for sharing this... :f

*hug* xx
2006-08-03


Arti
In the olden days, there were battlefields where armies met to fight, and civilians stayed in the cities to let life function... Now, the civilian is the battlefield, and the weapon, and the hurt, and the defended, and the dead... the soldiers have been counted among the dead since eternity...
2006-08-03



Many things could be said abut this theme, since we live in times when words like "terrorism" are used unilaterally. The only thing I'll say now is:
Thank you Mike for writing this!
2006-08-03


Kathy Lockhart
The essay of explaination captured me from the start. But, then, oh, the Poem that revealed the emotions, and told of the realities of war in such vivid glare. I cannot imagine the horrors, the impact, that was impelled upon these soldiers who did as all good soldiers do: follow orders. This is an exellent historical and emotional piece that you have penned Mike. xx kathy
2006-08-03


Emelén The PoetBay support member heart!
This write proves so strongly that the actions and consequences of war remain the same, untouched by time.
It is here presented eloquently but strongly by your excellent poetic skills.
2006-08-03


Malin Johansson
A great poem about war, this gave me images that is hard to see... images of war can not be imagined I think...
and the life after war can I imagine as horrifying!!!
A good poem here father
Regards Daughter
2006-08-03