Remembrance

Poem 350 – Eleven O’Clock

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Was there a moment when the bombing stopped,
that the world stood still and all fell silent?
Did the clouds pause in their heavenly paths,
the birds stop their song, and stand in branches?
Did rats and mice cease their scurrying
to survey the scene in curiosity?
The sergeant’s call to attention issued, the trees
no longer swayed but stood alert and upright.
Church organs held their breath, their anthems hanging
discordant, waiting to find their resolution,
while city hawkers gripped unfurled headline posters, the news as yet to be confirmed.

A poem for Armistice Day.
(11.11.24)

© Ben Quant 2024
Photo by Diana Parkhouse on Unsplash

Poem 349 – Remember

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Pin on the poppies
Line up the flags

Lay out the wreaths
Grieve for the past

Stand still in silence
Remember the dead

Hold onto our history
Learn from those left

I had the privilege today of speaking at our local Scout Group’s Remembrance Sunday event.
(10.11.24)

© Ben Quant 2024

Poem 32 – Opportunities Lost

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I wish I’d asked but youth does not
Appreciate the finite opportunity possessed
By the time I realised time’s scarcity
Those doors were shut

What was it like as a youth yourself
Once island locked to bid goodbye
Leave familiar shores, be evicted abruptly
Those doors were shut

Sail to alien lands with brothers unknown
Fight famine, plague, war and face death
Grim conflict without, peace lost within
Those doors were shut

Finally coming home to family changed
Moved on in life without your presence
Faces altered but you’re the stranger
Those doors were shut

How could you cope with enduring such sorrow
Those vivid scenes secretly stashed away
A simple return to normality that couldn’t be
Those doors were shut

Armistice Day (11.11.21)

Edit: I reworked this overnight, not being completely happy with it before, especially the final stanza.

© Ben Quant 2021

Armistice Day (11.11.21)

© Ben Quant 2021