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Prose & Poetry - War Poetry of S J Robinson - The War Memorial

Horse-drawn ambulance at Helles Reproduced within this area of the site are present-day First World War poems written by S. J. Robinson.  Click here for an introduction to the poems.

The War Memorial

A war memorial, standing straight
And proud against the sky
Issues this challenge, demanding still
Of those who pass it by

Do you recall men went to war?
These bodies that I guard?
Did you learn the lesson that they left?
Or legacy discard?

Most men fought and some men died
Some wounded, some remain
By ignoring that, you're not saving lives
You're killing them again!

They suffered long-in trench and pit
For principles they believed -
That sacrifice prevents repeat
- And were they all deceived?

I am not here to glorify war
Or justify it's right;
I am just here because men believed
Their death could make your future bright

Bulgaria mobilised a quarter of its male population during WW1, 650,000 troops in total.

- Did you know?