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 The Poppies gleamed....

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Rickler

Rickler


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The Poppies gleamed.... Empty
PostSubject: The Poppies gleamed....   The Poppies gleamed.... EmptyFri Nov 11, 2011 9:54 pm

Bill the Bomber - Robert Service


The poppies gleamed like bloody pools through cotton-woolly mist;
The Captain kept a-lookin' at the watch upon his wrist;
And there we smoked and squatted, as we watched the shrapnel flame;
'Twas wonnerful, I'm tellin' you, how fast them bullets came.
'Twas weary work the waiting, though; I tried to sleep a wink,
For waitin' means a-thinkin', and it doesn't do to think.
So I closed my eyes a little, and I had a niceish dream
Of a-standin' by a dresser with a dish of Devon cream;
But I hadn't time to sample it, for suddenlike I woke:
"Come on, me lads!" the Captain says, 'n I climbed out through the smoke.
We spread out in the open: it was like a bath of lead;
But the boys they cheered and hollered fit to raise the bloody dead,
Till a beastly bullet copped 'em, then they lay without a sound,
And it's odd -- we didn't seem to heed them corpses on the ground.
And I kept on thinkin', thinkin', as the bullets faster flew,
How they picks the werry best men, and they lets the rotters through;
So indiscriminatin' like, they spares a man of sin,
And a rare lad wot's a husband and a father gets done in.
And while havin' these reflections and advancin' on the run,
A bullet biffs me shoulder, and says I: "That's number one."

Well, it downed me for a jiffy, but I didn't lose me calm,
For I knew that I was needed: I'm a bomber, so I am.
I 'ad lost me cap and rifle, but I "carried on" because
I 'ad me bombs and knew that they was needed, so they was.
We didn't 'ave no singin' now, nor many men to cheer;
Maybe the shrapnel drowned 'em, crashin' out so werry near;
And the Maxims got us sideways, and the bullets faster flew,
And I copped one on me flipper, and says I: "That's number two."

I was pleased it was the left one, for I 'ad me bombs, ye see,
And 'twas 'ard if they'd be wasted like, and all along o' me.
And I'd lost me 'at and rifle -- but I told you that before,
So I packed me mit inside me coat and "carried on" once more.
But the rumpus it was wicked, and the men were scarcer yet,
And I felt me ginger goin', but me jaws I kindo set,
And we passed the Boche first trenches, which was 'eapin' 'igh with dead,
And we started for their second, which was fifty feet ahead;
When something like a 'ammer smashed me savage on the knee,
And down I came all muck and blood: Says I: "That's number three."

So there I lay all 'elpless like, and bloody sick at that,
And worryin' like anythink, because I'd lost me 'at;
And thinkin' of me missis, and the partin' words she said:
"If you gets killed, write quick, ol' man, and tell me as you're dead."
And lookin' at me bunch o' bombs -- that was the 'ardest blow,
To think I'd never 'ave the chance to 'url them at the foe.
And there was all our boys in front, a-fightin' there like mad,
And me as could 'ave 'elped 'em wiv the lovely bombs I 'ad.
And so I cussed and cussed, and then I struggled back again,
Into that bit of battered trench, packed solid with its slain.

Now as I lay a-lyin' there and blastin' of me lot,
And wishin' I could just dispose of all them bombs I'd got,
I sees within the doorway of a shy, retirin' dug-out
Six Boches all a-grinnin', and their Captain stuck 'is mug out;
And they 'ad a nice machine gun, and I twigged what they was at;
And they fixed it on a tripod, and I watched 'em like a cat;
And they got it in position, and they seemed so werry glad,
Like they'd got us in a death-trap, which, condemn their souls! they 'ad.
For there our boys was fightin' fifty yards in front, and 'ere
This lousy bunch of Boches they 'ad got us in the rear.

Oh it set me blood a-boilin' and I quite forgot me pain,
So I started crawlin', crawlin' over all them mounds of slain;
And them barstards was so busy-like they 'ad no eyes for me,
And me bleedin' leg was draggin', but me right arm it was free. . . .
And now they 'ave it all in shape, and swingin' sweet and clear;
And now they're all excited like, but -- I am drawin' near;
And now they 'ave it loaded up, and now they're takin' aim. . . .
Rat-tat-tat-tat! Oh here, says I, is where I join the game.
And my right arm it goes swingin', and a bomb it goes a-slingin',
And that "typewriter" goes wingin' in a thunderbolt of flame.

Then these Boches, wot was left of 'em, they tumbled down their 'ole,
And up I climbed a mound of dead, and down on them I stole.
And oh that blessed moment when I heard their frightened yell,
And I laughed down in that dug-out, ere I bombed their souls to hell.
And now I'm in the hospital, surprised that I'm alive;
We started out a thousand men, we came back thirty-five.
And I'm minus of a trotter, but I'm most amazin' gay,
For me bombs they wasn't wasted, though, you might say, "thrown away".
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pepsipete

pepsipete


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The Poppies gleamed.... Empty
PostSubject: Re: The Poppies gleamed....   The Poppies gleamed.... EmptyFri Nov 11, 2011 10:40 pm

Excellent, where's it from?
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pepsipete

pepsipete


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The Poppies gleamed.... Empty
PostSubject: Re: The Poppies gleamed....   The Poppies gleamed.... EmptyFri Nov 11, 2011 10:44 pm

Copied to my poetry file
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Rickler

Rickler


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The Poppies gleamed.... Empty
PostSubject: Re: The Poppies gleamed....   The Poppies gleamed.... EmptyFri Nov 11, 2011 11:06 pm

pepsipete wrote:
Excellent, where's it from?

I know it from "The best of Robert Service".

I know very little about Poetry, but I stumbled across this book and loved it.

Poetry for blokes.

Although my favourite, "Yellow" is missing from the following list, this webpage makes a good introduction to RS:

http://www.readbookonline.net/books/Service/275/
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PostSubject: Re: The Poppies gleamed....   The Poppies gleamed.... EmptySat Nov 12, 2011 11:00 am

A fitting tribute and a great poem Ricks.
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seadog
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The Poppies gleamed.... Empty
PostSubject: Re: The Poppies gleamed....   The Poppies gleamed.... EmptyMon Nov 14, 2011 4:50 am

very apt, glad I was born when I was.
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pepsipete

pepsipete


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Join date : 2011-05-11
Age : 85
Location : Ivybridge

The Poppies gleamed.... Empty
PostSubject: Re: The Poppies gleamed....   The Poppies gleamed.... EmptyMon Nov 14, 2011 4:59 am

Rickler wrote:
pepsipete wrote:
Excellent, where's it from?

I know it from "The best of Robert Service".

I know very little about Poetry, but I stumbled across this book and loved it.

Poetry for blokes.

Although my favourite, "Yellow" is missing from the following list, this webpage makes a good introduction to RS:

http://www.readbookonline.net/books/Service/275/

I collect poems, especially ones with a Plymouth or Westcountry connection. Also well known classics and Patriotic Poems, which is where yours is going.
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