I cannot imagine in my wildest dreams what it was like “going over the top “ in 1916 ,
but needless to say the blood splattered mud has spawned a symbol of remembrance as red as those young men’s blood ………………….the poppy.
………………thus I cannot bring myself to wear a poppy
I have had several elderly relations involved in various conflicts over the years and to be honest - they would rather not be reminded of those days , and I could write reams and reams of my own family history here , but would you the casual reader be interested – I think not .
The First World War ( WW1) was an idealistic conflict if there’s such a thing , the Second ( WW2) a total necessity , and anything subsequent was sheer stupidity in my own opinion , and I just wonder if the ranks of the very young army cadets , selling poppies at the weekend , would be so eager to join the armed forces for real , if they knew the harsh realities involved.
Needless to say I am eternally grateful to all of those who sacrificed themselves fighting in wars against pure evil, but ultimately - I will simply not buy a symbol of blood , which in essence is something that is used to ease your own conscience .
Looking at it from my perspective - Its almost as if we have learnt absolutely nothing from the past , as we on one hand come to a standstill as a nation in remembrance, yet still blindly stagger from one meaningless conflict to another - led by the self same donkeys from 1916…………………
…….“I cannot imagine the trepidation you still feel huddled together in the fields of Afghanistan - lying amongst the poppies - as white and cowardly as the people who sent you to this place …….. but ultimately tinged red …………………..”
The Current Bun *
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( *rhyming slang for The Sun , which is a “news” paper )
A friend of mine pointed out an article in one of the pieces of paper that are usually found blowing about in the gutter , and which laughingly passes as a newspaper in the U.K.- last week , about the area I live in.
The article was entitled ……..Why Geordies don’t live South of Watford *.
* A Geordie is a native of this part of the world , and Watford is a place in S.E. England , where according to some wits - “ civilisation ends ” :)
Now I can’t work out whether this article is patronising, or a genuine surprise by the writer about this area , which is usually portrayed as being all - pit heaps ( spoil heaps from the coal mines ) , flat caps ( flat hats usually worn by old people ) and whippets
( type of dog ) ……………………..
…………….and we don’t like strangers about these parts …… either ……with their city ways and posh cars ……………………………….
……………continues in Deliverance or possibly The Hills Have Eyes :)
Hmmmm……. I think I’ll apply for a job in the Tourist Information Office - after
all :)
