shhh

i observed the 2 minutes silence today.  ok it didn't make much difference in terms of actual silence - because i spend every day mostly silent if i'm not talking to the cat...

but in this town we have a gun (or summat that makes a loud bang) go off at 11 and then another 2 mins later so you know when to observe it. so i was thinking about the kids in school observing the silence, and whether their teachers had explained to them about why they were observing it, and then i started thinking about the war poetry a lot of my friends have posted on fb today.  i like reading WW1 poetry - although some of it makes me cry.

my favorite poem is by a woman called vera brittain.  ok i know there's loads of male WW1 poets to appreciate and all but i'm not a man, and this particular poem sends shivers up me because it's so poignantly written from a woman's perspective. 

a pic of vera

 

vera brittain also wrote an autobiography called "a testament of youth" which i would highly recommend.  my mum made me read it when i was about 12 and i loved it and reread it several times.  it was televised a few years ago - there's clips on youtube - here's a link to one clip.  it's v bbc in the 80's but i remember it being quite good.  the book is better....

i think the reason i like this poem is because the first line is brilliant, it's written with obvious love and pride, and it's like a prayer for safekeeping - i've got a copy of it in an a level english literature text book where the 17 year old me has written next to it "almost a good luck charm - back to poetry's earlier function = magic".  it's called "To My Brother".  

her brother died in action four days after the poem was written, which i think makes the poem all the sadder and more poignant.

a pic of edward brittain

i don't agree with war, i'm a pacifist, but i'm not naive and i don't think we'll ever live in a world without war.  people are generally stupid enough to want to fight with each other and prob always will be.  and i also think if we didn't have an army we'd all be living under some dictator somewhere because there's always gonna be someone who wants to take overrrr the wooorrrlld...

so i think that although the armed forces chose the job they do - how can we not appreciate them for getting off their arses and doing it.  they obvs believe in what they do otherwise they wouldn't be getting blown to bits in afghanistan or wherever - whatever the politics.

and this poem sums up the hopes and fears of women throughout centuries of war - that their son, brother, lover, father, husband or friend will make it home safely and in one piece:

TO MY BROTHER

Your battle-wounds are scars upon my heart,

Recieved when in that grand and tragic "show"

You played your part

Two years ago

And silver in the summer morning sun

I see the symbol of your courage glow - 

That Cross you won

Two years ago.

Though now again you watch the shrapnel fly,

And hear the guns that daily louder grow,

As in July

Two years ago,

May you endure to lead the Last Advance

And with your men pursue the flying foe

As once in France

Two years ago.

seeeee i can do deep and sensitive :)