My father born this day in 1916
The Battle of the Somme was in full flow
Tom Kettle wrote his poem for his daughter
And thousands died in a bloody horror show
An uncle of my father died in May
Another uncle too near Christmas day
In 1917 near Jerusalem
My father would pass by in the next affray
Death was all around them in those days
The Great War end of Edwardian haze
Madness of the trenches idiocy
Shocked the world
Versailles accountancy
An angry corporal went home to grieve
And stir up hatred millions to deceive
And stirring embers stirred a war again
Adding millions to the great mayhem
My father lived through that and then came home
And down the pit again no more to roam
And lived a quiet life and pondered why
Foolish men send others out to die
Brian Fahy
22 August 2022
Erris Poetry 