1904 chipping Sodbury England
Grenville school for young Englishmen


*The bell for evensong rang out
It was seven o'clock the boys would be
Going to the school chapel he wanted to see them.
He was so old where had all the time passed.
He remembered it was 1876 he was such a young
Man so full of dreams and possibly.
His days at a schoolmaster at Grenville school for boys
had began.
He knew he was a shy stodgy schoolmaster going unnoticed.
No promotions just the same grade.
Then a miracle happened
Grace found him he did not mean a gift of faith
He always has that of course.
If was the most stunning lady he had ever seen.
He was at the train station at Chippingham Wold
The fog had set in and the trains were delayed..
He sat in the waiting room and she was there.
Her smile lit up the room.
I did not have the skills to enchant the fairer ***
Only the words of masters like Chaucer and Shakespeare.
She said would you like to join me for a tea and scones
She withdrew a flask of sweet tea and gave me one of her scones.
We talked for hours in the deep fog that kept us there overnight.
She said thank you for keeping me safe overnight
I was quite afraid she did not look afraid.
The train arrive to take us to chipping sodbury.
As we exited the train she slipped me her address on her scented card that
Was perfumed with gardenias.
I still have it even in my eighties
I had fallen for her you see.
But who would not have.
I picked up my courage from my boots
And knocked on her door.
We married six months later.
I have never been as happy before or since.
The next five years were heaven she charmed the
School committee and all the boys
They loved her well almost as much as I did you see.
She  kissed me at the door after the cricket match
We beat you turnberry wells by seven runs
I was pink with excitement.
We are having a child she said.
I wept in joy
Then when the labor came she had eclampsia
And the labor was hard
After many hours the doctor came down
From the bedroom.
I looked up
He shook his head.
And the child I mumbled.
His sad eyes cell to the ground.
I never married again
How could I I had drank from the cup of perfection.
The great war came
At evensong I read the names of my fallen boys
William's burns sands Rene And  colley
Who received a posthumous Victoria cross
For pulling his wounded Batman from the line of fire
In a failed charge upon the German trenches.
The tears fell from my eyes as their faces
Appeared as the boys I loved.
The war tumbled to an end and the sons of the fallen came back
As young boys to Grenville
I was old and headmaster of that sainted school.
Roll call of the new boys
William's sir burns sir coley sir
I taught your father's I said softly.
Then the years rolled by
I was lay in my death bed nearly ninety now
I heard two of the young masters outside my door.
The old man is dying
He lost his wife years ago
Never had any children it such a shame.
I said but that's not true
I had a thousand children
And they were all boys.