Why should we wear a poppy red?
For all the sweat and tears they shed.
Into battle, troops were led;
the aircraft swarmed and bullets sped.
Explosions, sirens overhead;
fiancées, lovers left unwed.
Expected glory. but hell instead!
Over miles of mud they tread.
No-man's land, a place of dread;
flooded trench, now grim deathbed.
Disease and injury were widespread,
mental torture wrecked the head.
Why should we wear a poppy red?
For all their words, all left unsaid
and never to forget the dead,
or sacrifice of their bloodshed.
Their futures, ours — please, go ahead.
Note: This poem was originally written in 2018, but I seem to have forgotten to upload it. You can read the article in the Hexham Courant here.
