Lest We Forget One-Hundred Years From Now
A poem by Georgina Holmes
Image Credit: Georgina Holmes
I stand along the Great Green Ridge, field
I stand amongst the flowers, that grow
Stronger, taller, bolder and more resilient. Now
They grow from their scars, oh
Lest we forget.
I stand along the Front Line Battle, field
I stand amongst the flowers, that grow
Strong, tall, bold and so resilient. Now
They grow from our blood, oh
Lest we forget
One-hundred years from now.
These poppies stand for them,
These poppies live from us.
Poppies that know their blood,
Poppies that grow from us. Dead.
You threw your hearts of hope
Up to the sky
Up to God.
The poppy we’ll wear, until we die
From your bed.
We threw our minds of moral
Up to the future
Up to You.
The poppy you’ll wear, until you die
To know we died to have our lessons taught.
They lay still and we remember.
I still stand and they remember.
They died, for the future.
We died, for love.
Lest we forget.
Lest we forget
One-hundred years from now.
Reflections
In Year 11 I was on the Battlefields Trip, carrying a handwritten copy of my poem in my bag. I was hoping for a chance to pass it on, to share it, to show my thanks. I wrote this entry on Monday 15 October 2018:
“I laid down my poem at the Cross of Sacrifice at Tyne Cot after everyone had walked away. After wandering through the immense rows of headstones I made my way back to the Cross. I was later approached by a Canadian man, he had read my poem and someone from school had brought him to me. He told me that he used to be a history teacher, but before that he had been a pilot in war for the Canadian Air Force. He said that he had a relative buried at Tyne Cot. He gave me thanks for my poem and its symbol of respect. He was moved to see that respect continues through generations; even one-hundred years later. It is 2018; the centenary of the end of the Great War. My poem was called ‘Lest We Forget One-Hundred Years From Now’.”
I was so moved by the encounter and pleased to hear the appreciation – although I felt as though I should be the one giving thanks.