Kipling's Poem

[buttercup]

One of the most moving verses in the whole of poetry

The tumult and the shouting dies;
The captains and the kings depart;
Still stands thine ancient sacrifice,
An humble and a contrite heart.
Lord god of hosts, be with us ye;.
Lest we Forget; Lest we Forget

It even makes me think that enemies (past and present) were/are in much the same boat. Enemy mothers no doubt mourned their dead sons as much as Allied mothers.

 

[mandrill]

 

[oldjones]

Far called, our navies melt away,
On dune and headland sinks the fire,
And all our pomp of yesterday
Is gone with Niniveh and Tyre.
Lord god of hosts, be with us yet.
Lest we Forget; Lest we Forget

 

[Insidious Von]

At the start of the 20th Century Rudyard Kipling was an influential writer while Joseph Conrad was on his way.

Kipling had the advantage as Conrad spent most of his youth in the British Merchant Marine. Their relationship frayed over The Boer War, Kipling supported it while Conrad didn't. It never recovered. Conrad was proven right by the meat grinder skull fuckery of WWI and the tragedy of the Russian Revolution, the later of which he wrote several novels on its build up. As a kid I loved Kipling, as an adult Conrad is King.

In Flander's field's the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row by row
That mark our place and in the sky
The larks still bravely singing fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below

We are the dead, short time ago
We lived, felt dawn and sunset's glow
Loved and were love and now we lie
In Flander's fields.

Take up our quarrel with our foe
To whom from failing hands we throw
The torch, be yours to hold up high
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep till poppies grow
In Flander's field.

- John McCrae: died 1917

There was a new addition to Remembrance Day ceremonies, One Tin Soldier was sung by a children's choir. A Canadian classic that was once part of the now forgotten Billy Jack franchise.

 

[bluecolt]

At the start of the 20th Century Rudyard Kipling was an influential writer while Joseph Conrad was on his way.

Kipling had the advantage as Conrad spent most of his youth in the British Merchant Marine. Their relationship frayed over The Boer War, Kipling supported it while Conrad didn't. It never recovered. Conrad was proven right by the meat grinder skull fuckery of WWI and the tragedy of the Russian Revolution, the later of which he wrote several novels on its build up. As a kid I loved Kipling, as an adult Conrad is King.

In Flander's field's the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row by row
That mark our place and in the sky
The larks still bravely singing fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below

We are the dead, short time ago
We lived, felt dawn and sunset's glow
Loved and were love and now we lie
In Flander's fields.

Take up our quarrel with our foe
To whom from failing hands we throw
The torch, be yours to hold up high
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep till poppies grow
In Flander's field.

- John McCrae: died 1917

There was a new addition to Remembrance Day ceremonies, One Tin Soldier was sung by a children's choir. A Canadian classic that was once part of the now forgotten Billy Jack franchise.

"One Tin Soldier" was sung with gusto by the Canadian group "The Original Caste, " several years before Coven covered it. Coven's song pails in light of the Original Caste performance.

 

[Insidious Von]

Thanks for reminding me. It was a timely hit as President Nixon launched the invasion of Cambodia. I was at the Remembrance Day Ceremony at Old City Hall and surprised to learn there were Canadian Vietnam War Veterans there. Relations between Prime Minister Pearson and President Johnson were frayed when Pearson didn't support the war effort, the Canadians went as mercenaries. Let's not forget that Lester Pearson is the only Canadian to win The Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating a ceasefire during the Suez Crisis.

The Coven version was part of the Billy Jack soundtrack...correct me if I'm wrong.