God has taken you away
We are all heartbroken,
For all we ever wanted was for you to stay
We remember you with a heart full of love
You were a wonderful, beautiful person
Your inspiration and personality shone well above

Your hearty laughter, it always rang out
You loved and cared for everyone, without a doubt
Shaun, he was your pride and joy
When he met Natalie, he became a man
But he still was your wee boy
The grand kids they filled your days with love and pride
You always loved having them close by your side

Although you are gone, you will always be near
Memories of you will always be in our hearts and so clear
Then Margaret there is your loving big man
For Derek he treasured you and has done all he can
Derek loved you with his heart and soul
He cared for you devotedly as he played his role

But alas my dearest Margaret you are gone
And there is nothing we can do
For God he has seen the wonders and beauty within you
He has taken you up to his home in the sky
And to this day we all wonder why

Our eyes and hearts are filling with sadness and tears
For this was one of our greatest fears
Rest in peace your battle you have won
You faced it with dignity and strength
And in good times with laughter and fun
Goodbye dear sweet Margaret, till we meet again
Thank you for being an amazing and a wonderful friend

Dear mother as I lie here with death all around
People lying face buried in the ground
I try hard to think of places back home
And of people I knew and places we would roam

I think of my friends when we sat and talked
And it was by the river
Where my darling and I we kissed and walked
Please tell me what I am doing here
Does God want me to ****? Must I carry on?
Please mother can you make it stop
Or has it got to go on and on

Can no one see the harm they are doing?
The husband, mothers, sons, and uncles
Their lives are in ruins
These men will never ever be the same
Is there no one out there can feel the shame
They are weary, tired, and drained
As they walk like zombies
Through the bodies,blood,muck,and rain

The explosions stop you lay back and draw a sight
It’s time to clean up this terrible mess
And listen to grown men cry
It’s the cry for help to ease their suffering and pain
For men whose bodies will never ever look the same

Then there is the wagon that collects the dead
There’s no time for feelings
Just throw them on
By legs or head
As it moves to the end of the trench
Its wheels getting rutted in the dirt
What a smell as the blood oozes out
Through the holes in their shirt

The blind and maimed they are tied onto the cart
They walk with no meaning as if they had no heart
Their toes stick out of the side of their boots
Their arms just dangle like flowers with no roots

One after the other they just trudge along
There’s always one who tries hard to sing a song
What is he singing or best why?
He doesn’t know don’t stop him
For he’s better singing than starting to cry

It won’t be long before it starts all over again
Till bombs fall from the sky like pouring rain
It’s then we start to shake with fear
As bits of bodies start falling near

Oh mother how I envy you
Your nice warm house
I have always have thoughts for yon little mouse
He will be tucked up nice and warm
Waiting for the next day to dawn

Me I will lie in this muddy grave
Hoping that someday I will be saved
An angel will come and take me away
I will be taken to God’s house
Where I will stay

So my dear mothers each night as you go to bed
Spare a thought for me in your head
I will always remember when I kissed you
And said goodbye
When you think of me mother
Take a long hard look towards the sky

I will be the brightest star than can be found
As they lay my body in the ground
No more will my loud laughter ring out
For my dearest mother my burning light
Has just been blow out
I love you mother
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
LEAST YOU EVER FORGET
THE DAY WE DIED FOR YOU
God bless one and all
Poem by Andrew Bennie
On the 11th day of the 11th month

In these fields is where the red poppy grows
No seeds were used
It came from all the blood we did sow
Why else would the poppy be coloured red
The colour came from the blood of the dead

As they lay in Flanders field
With death all around
The cannon fire was the only sound
They each looked as if they were fast asleep
Lying there bodies all twisted in a heap

This lovely ground that once was green
Now oozes red with all the dead to be seen
The stretcher bearers running doing their best
Trying hard to find the living amid this mess

They are dodging the bullets that are flying around
Only stopping to collect the living crying on the ground
The day will come when we return
To pay homage to our dead
Amid the poppies on Flanders field
Flaming and burning so red
poetry by
Andrew Bennie