IT ALL STARTED WITH A PROMISE,
TO HELP RAISE THREE THOUSAND POUNDS
FOR A MONUMENT TO THE BARNSLEY PALS,
WHO FELL ON FOREIGN GROUND.
FIRST IT WAS A FAVOUR,
BUT THEN GILL WENT AND EXPLAINED,
THAT FOR YEARS HIS PAL JACK WARDLE,
HAD THOUGHT IT JUST A DREAM,
THE MORE INVOLVE I GOT,
THE PROUDER I BECAME,
THEN WE REALISED THE TARGET,
AND I WAS PART OF THIS GRAND SCHEME.
WE WENT WITH JACK ACROSS TO FRANCE
ONE DULL OCTOBER DAY,
BUT THE WEATHER COULD NOT DULL OUR PRIDE,
WHILST WE WATCHED THAT STONE BE LAID,
THEN THEY TOOK ME ON A GRAND TOUR,
TO THE WAR GRAVES OF THE SOMME,
AS I GATHERED FALLEN ACORNS.
I READ THE NAMES ON EACH BLEACHED WHITE STONE.
EACH STEP I TOOK, I THOUGHT,
IS THIS THE PLACE WHERE MY DAD STOOD,
WITH HIS LEWIS GUN RATTATTIN,
DESPERATELY FORCING BACK THE HUN,
DID HE SEE THE SAME CLOUDS.
THAT WERE HIDING OUT THE SUN,
HOW MUCH AT THE AGE OF SEVENTEEN,
DID HE WISH TO BE BACK HOME.
AS I WALKED AMONG THOSE LINES OF STONES,
WHERE THOSE BRITISH TOMMIES LAY,
I THANKED GOD FOR SPARING MY OLD DAD,
OR I WOULDN'T BE HERE TODAY.
I FELT THIS BURNING ANGER,
WALKING DOWN THOSE AVENUES OF GRAVES,
THINKING HOW MANY KIDS WOULD THERE HAVE BEEN,
IF THESE LADS HAD BUT BEEN SAVED.
AS JACK AND I STROLLED HAND IN HAND,
THROUGH THE SANCTUARY WOOD,
WALKED THE TRENCHES WHERE THOSE TEENAGE LADS,
HAD COME FACE TO FACE WITH GOD,
I THOUGHT ABOUT THE WORDS SAID,
EVERY NIGHT AT MENIN GATE,
AND THE CHILLING SOUND OF THE LAST POST,
PLAYED EVERY NIGHT AT EIGHT,
AGE SHALL NOT WEARY THEM,
THEY WEREN'T GIVEN ANY CHOICE,
BUT I RECKON IF THEY HAD BEEN ASKED,
THEY WOULD HAVE ECHOED LOUD IN ONE VOICE,
KEEP THE HOME FIRES BURNING,
FOR THE LADS WHO MAKE IT HOME,
KEEP A FLAME BURNING IN YOUR HEARTS,
FOR US STILL RESTING ON THE SOMME,
AND AT MENIN GATE WITH ALL THE REST,
I WORE DADS MEDALS PROUD,
WHILST THE BUGELLER PLAYED THE LAST POST,
REVERENTLY, MY HEAD WAS BOWED.
I BROUGHT BACK WITH ME AN ACORN,
AND I HOPE THAT IT WILL YIELD,
A GREAT OAK, TO REMIND ME,
OF THOSE LADS, STILL ON FLANDERS FIELDS,
MAY THE SUN SHINE DOWN FOREVER,
WHERE THOSE GALLANT TOMMIES LAY,
HOW I HOPE THEY FOUND A BRIGHTER DAWN, AND AN EVER BRIGHTER DAY.
LETS NOT FORGET THOSES OTHER LADS,
WHO FACED A FIRING SQUAD OF SHAME,
ON THEIR HEARTS A PIECE OF PAPER,
TO GIVE THEIR MATES A PERFECT AIM.
GONE NOW THOSE HORRIFYING IMAGES,
GONE THE RUMBLING OF THE GUNS,
JUST TRANQIL ROWS OF BLEACHED WHITE STONES,
THAT GREET EACH PEACEFUL DAWN,
YES! WE WILL REMEMBER THEM, NEVER LET THE MEMORIES FADE,
AND TEACH THE CHILDREN OF TOMORROW,
TO KNOW! WHAT GREAT SACRIFICE WAS MADE.
I WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT THIS WAS PUT ON THE FORUM AND THE WEB BY MY LOVELY GERMAN FRIEND CHARLIE (ILONA). I THANK GOD THAT TIMES HAVE CHANGED.
