The Valiant 306

 Wreaths of blood red poppies
A minutes silence to remember
To commemorate the fallen
To show respect for sacrifice
I cannot join you
Heads bowed in prayer
Prayers for the dead
You honour their memory
I will not Join you
There’s no questioning why
Why they became the fallen
Why they had to die
Why they had to kill
The Valiant 306

Jack (17) crouched low
His back firmly against
The wall of the trench
He wiped the blood and
Shards of skull covering
His face and shoulders
An eye ball and chunk
Of jaw bone sat in his lap
Remains of George (18)
His best pal from home
He looked to his left
Larry (18) cried for his
Mother and his God
To help him, to save him
As he tried in vain
To stem the flow
From his bloody stumps
Jack looked to the right
Francis (16) lay slumped
Against the trench wall
Blood gushing from a
Single gun shot
Moaning and gurgling
As he drowned in
His own blood
Screaming and crying
All around, loud
Louder than gun shots
And mortar explosions
Jack (17) looses control
Bowels then bladder
Now smelling, wet and soiled
Fear takes over everything
He rolls into a ball
And rocks forwards and back
In the piss, shit, blood and mud
He covers both ears
And screams as tears
Stream sobbing uncontrollably
All of a sudden; stillness
“Get up BOY!”
“The Hun is that way
Get over the top you
Filthy coward”
Jack could see the shouting
But he couldn’t hear a word
He knew exactly what was
being asked of him
still sobbing he screamed
the most dangerous word
“NO!”
For saying no
Jack (17)
Was executed by
A firing squad
Of his own comrades
And buried un marked
A coward
Forgotten

We executed 306 valiant men
We murdered 306 brave souls
For being scared
For standing up in carnage
And saying No
They stood up against
Continuation of the slaughter
And their part in it
They were brave enough
To look death in the face
Tied to a post
Tied and repeatedly shot
A nations shame
Heroes forgotten
Branded as cowards
No commemoration

I cannot, will not
Join your parade
If you continue to
Ignore those you murdered
The valiant 306
Pardon them
Accept your shame
Accept your blame
Remember them as
Heroes walking a different path
Let me wear a poppy
To commemorate
Grandpa Jack