Rememberance Day Poem For Those Who Have Lost Loved Ones.

[sufferer2]

'Perhaps' by Mary Brittain.

Perhaps some day the sun will shine again,

And I shall see that still the skies are blue,

And feel once more I do not live in vain,

Although bereft of You.

Perhaps the golden meadows at my feet

Will make the sunny hours of spring seem gay,

And I shall find the white May-blossoms sweet,

Though You have passed away.

Perhaps the summer woods will shimmer bright,

And crimson roses once again be fair,

And autumn harvest fields a rich delight,

Although You are not there.

Perhaps some day I shall not shrink in pain

To see the passing of the dying year,

And listen to Christmas songs again,

Although You cannot hear.'

But though kind Time may many joys renew,

There is one greatest joy I shall not know

Again, because my heart for loss of You

Was broken, long ago.

Vera Mary Brittain (29 December 1893 – 29 March 1970) was an English writer, feminist and pacifist, best remembered as the author of the best-selling 1933 memoir Testament of Youth, recounting her experiences during World War I and the beginning of her journey towards pacifism.

'Perhaps' was written for her fiancee, Roland Leighton, who died in France shortly before he was due to return to England to marry Vera at Christmas 1914.

[sassy59]

Thank you sufferer. Xxxx

[Billiejean_2]

An appropriate poem for today.

Thanks for sharing it with us.

[sufferer2 in reply to Billiejean_2]

My pleasure Billiejean.

LLAP, Eric 👍 🙋

[pegbl]

So moving xxx

[Magpuss]

A beautiful poem, very moving. Thank you.

[sufferer2 in reply to Magpuss]

The BBC made a fabulous film of Vera's 'Testament of Youth' in 2014 which was shown on BBC2 in February this Year. If they show it again please be sure to watch it - you'll weep buckets.

Thank you for your kind comments Magpuss, take care,

LLAP, Eric 👍 🙋

[Magpuss in reply to sufferer2]

I saw it, and I did and if it's on again no doubt there'll be a repeat performance. It was fabulous!

[sufferer2 in reply to Magpuss]

I'm so pleased you did see the film. My wife and I watched it again on Saturday night (I'm fortunate that I recorded it on my Virgin V Box) and we were still very moved by the superb acting, especially the scene where she finds the letters/poems from Roland that was sent back in his kit.

We found the poem 'Violets from Plug Street wood ' (this should have been Ploegsteert Wood which was a sector of the Western Front in Flanders) very moving indeed.

I have pasted the poem here for you;

Violets from Plug Street wood

Sweet, I send you oversea.

(It is strange they should be blue,

Blue, when his soaked blood was red,

For they grew around his head:

It is strange they should be blue.)

Violets from Plug Street Wood,

Think what they have meant to me,

Life and hope and love and you.

(And you did not see them grow,

where his mangled body lay,

Hiding horror from the day;

Sweetest it was better so)

Violets from oversea,

To your dear, far, forgetting land,

These I send in memory,

Knowing you will understand.

[Magpuss in reply to sufferer2]

Heartrending.

[Lyd12]

Great poem and a sad story, one of so many, unfortunately. Testament of Youth book and film are very good. Mary Vera Brittain was the mother of Lib Dem Shirley Williams.