A Mother's Poem. Posted for no reason at all, other than the fact that I liked it. . .

[Phil Perry]

I wouldn't mind if I only knowed

 

The spot where they'd laid my lad;

 

If I could see where they'd buried 'im,

 

It wouldn't be arf so bad.

 

But they do say some's not buried at all,

 

Left to the maggots and flies,

 

Rottin' out there in that no man's land,

 

Just where they falls — they lies.

 

Parson 'e says as it makes no odds,

 

'Cause the soul o' the lad goes on,

 

'Is spirit 'as gorn to 'is Gawd, 'e says,

 

Wherever 'is body 'as gorn.

 

But Parson ain't never 'ad no child,

 

'E's a man, not a woman, see?

 

'Ow can he know what a woman feels,

 

And what it can mean to me?

 

For my boy's body were mine — my own,

 

I bore it in bitter pain,

 

Bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh,

 

It lies and rots in the rain.

 

Parson ain't never suckled a child

 

Nor broken 'is nights o' rest,

 

To 'ush it to sleep in 'is aching arms,

 

While it drew life from 'is breast.

 

'E ain't never watched by a sick child's bed

 

Nor seed it fightin' for life,

 

A man don't know what a mother knows,

 

'E leaves all that to 'is wife.

 

I minds that chapter as Parson read

 

When poor little Jenny died,

 

And I were feeling as I feel now,

 

Wiv this emptiness inside.

 

Thou fool — it said — thou Fool — for to ask

 

And 'ow do the dead arise?

 

What is the body that they shall wear

 

Up there in God's Paradise?

 

I may be a fool, but that's just it,

 

That's just what I wants to know,

 

What is the body my boy shall bear,

 

And 'ow does that body grow?

 

I reckons as 'ow that Scripture piece

 

Were writ by a single man,

 

They never knows what a body costs

 

And I don't see 'ow they can.

 

A married man 'as a bit ov sense

 

If 'e's been and stood wiv 'is wife,

 

'E knows the body 'is baby wears

 

'As cost 'er all but 'er life.

 

But even a Father never knows

 

The ache in a Mother's 'eart,

 

When she and the body 'er body bore

 

Are severed and torn apart.

 

The men wouldn't make these cursed wars

 

If they knowed of a body's worth,

 

They wouldn't be blowin' 'em all to bits

 

If they 'ad the pains ov birth.

 

But bless ye—the men don't know they're born,

 

For they gets away scot free.

 

'Ow can they know what their cruel wars

 

Is costin' the likes ov me?

 

I were proud to give, I'd give again

 

If I knowed the cause were right,

 

For I wouldn't keep no son of mine

 

When 'is dooty called to fight.

 

But I'd like to know just where it's laid,

 

That body my body bore,

 

And I'd like to know who'll mother ‘im

 

Out there on that other shore,

 

Who will be bearin' the mother's part

 

And be makin' your body, boy?

 

Who will be 'avin' the mother's pain,

 

And feelin' the mother's joy?

 

Gawd, is it you? Then bow you down

 

And 'ark to a Mother's prayer.

 

Don't keep it all to yourself, Good Lord,

 

But give 'is old Mother a share.

 

Gimme a share of the travail pain

 

Of my own son's second birth,

 

Double the pain if you double the joy

 

That a mother feels on earth.

 

Gimme the sorrow and not the joy

 

If that 'as to be your will,

 

Gimme the labour and not the pride,

 

But make me 'is mother still.

 

Maybe the body as 'e shall wear

 

Is born of my breaking heart,

 

Maybe these pains are the new birth pangs

 

What'll give my laddie 'is start.

 

Then I'd not trouble 'ow hard they was,

 

I'd gladly go through the mill,

 

If that noo body 'e wore were mine,

 

And I were 'is mother still.

 

G A Studdert Kennedy

 

Geoffrey Anketell Studdert Kennedy

 

 

[facthunter]

Yes . Words that show the price, the utter madness, inhumanity and folly of war. Will we ever learn? Sending your best, most fit to die and often all the male members of one family go.. Hate , the residue of all wars lives on to provide the genesis of the next WAR. The real tragedy is often how little is achieved at so high a price. Nev

 

 

[nomadpete]

That one thing, war, proves above all else that mankind is most certainly not a superior being. If there was a God, he sure failed at the most basic design aspects when he created mankind.

 

 

[nomadpete]

Phil, have you gone and bought shares in a tissue company or something? You've got us all reaching for a tissue.

 

It'd take a hard hearted bloke/blokette to read that poem without a tear in his eye.

 

 

[Yenn]

It is time for the politicians to front up at the start of the war. Show some involvement with their decision making.

 

We have had troops in Afghanistan for years and it looks as if it will be many more years before they are withdrawn. All for no good reason for us in Australia.

 

 

[facthunter]

Longest war is a disaster. You have to work in with local conditions and customs. If you don't understand the local way of doing things you won't get anywhere and will always be "the enemy" whatever your intentions.. Nev

 

 

[nomadpete]

Even Alexander the Great had the same problem when he tried to conquer Afganistan. So did the British in the 1800's. Now the USA (and us, on their coat tails) are rediscovering the problem. We wouldn't be there if only our leaders had taken the time to read up on the history of the area. Locals on all sides will continue to humour the western Invaders, whilst waiting for opportunities to revert to their old ways (to continue their tribal squabbles)

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Phil, have you gone and bought shares in a tissue company or something? You've got us all reaching for a tissue.It'd take a hard hearted bloke/blokette to read that poem without a tear in his eye.

To be honest Pete. . . . .That was one of the reasons that I posted it. . . .Mrs. P. has always said that I am a man with a heart of Ice. . . .on more than a couple of occasions, she has called me a 'Cold Hearted Bastard' . . . .

 

The truth is that I just don't wear it on my sleeve. ( I ALSO find that the El-Cheapo tissues sold by my local ALDI [ German ] discount supermarket are just as good,. . . when I've got 'something in my eye' that is. . . .

 

 

[Phil Perry]

That one thing, war, proves above all else that mankind is most certainly not a superior being. If there was a God, he sure failed at the most basic design aspects when he created mankind.

Hmmm. . . that's a difficult one Pete,. . OR,. . .a difficult TWO really. If Huey really Does exist, then he obviously he / She / It, had to design the hairy Alpha Males as PREDATORS. . .otherwise they would not have survived at all . . . the second one is that IF we are a result of pure and random natural selective evolution, then the same thing applies really. . . Without a well developed predatorial instinct,. . .another species may well have prevailed as the top dog in the planetary food chain.

 

Given that we are, as a species, given to predatorial instinct, which naturally involves Violence of some sort or another, whether it be to win Food, or a dsipute with other of our species. . . then is is easier to extrapolate that this must be the reason for tribalism and therefore inter-tribal conflict. It HAS TO BE . . .there is no other logical conclusion given the long history of man on man conflict.

 

( This is a question and not a conclusion BTW )

 

 

[nomadpete]

But, but....

 

"If Huey really does exist.."

 

And SHE designed 'us' to be HER 'special edition' creation, she wouldn't need to design all those fighting instincts that we only needed for us to survive as a species whilst evolving from our ape-like predecessors. (Or from the primordial sludge where there was no red wine at all).

 

Unless, of course, SHE intended to 'create' HER chosen ones by allowing them to EVOLVE !

 

Are there any creationists out there who can help me with my dilemma?

 

Now, what was that logical conclusion to which you referred?

 

 

[Phil Perry]

But, but...."If Huey really does exist.."

 

And SHE designed 'us' to be HER 'special edition' creation, she wouldn't need to design all those fighting instincts that we only needed for us to survive as a species whilst evolving from our ape-like predecessors. (Or from the primordial sludge where there was no red wine at all).

 

Unless, of course, SHE intended to 'create' HER chosen ones by allowing them to EVOLVE !

 

Are there any creationists out there who can help me with my dilemma?

 

Now, what was that logical conclusion to which you referred?

As Mr. Spock would put it. . ."It's Life Pete. . . .but not as we know it. . . ."

 

 

[nomadpete]

As Mr. Spock would put it. . ."It's Life Pete. . . .but not as we know it. . . ."

What? You mean our life?

 

Coward, you're opting out of the debate

 

Oh, I forgot. This thread is about the poem. Sorry.