Lest We Forget
I have seen them in many parts of the world.
From Scotland to Canada and the USA.
From France to Australia.
Each one rips at my soul.
But the saddest thing about War Memorials, strangely enough, is not the heart-breaking list of names of those who died in the obscenity that was World War I.
The Great War.
Yeah, right.
I do not dispute that the list is always far too long.
Of course it is.
Each one is a reminder of young, mostly working class men – sons, husbands, fathers – deprived of life, of communities destroyed for ever, all over our planet.
And yet.
Sadder still are the addenda.
Conflict after conflict.
War after war.
Decade after decade.
Name after name.
Life after life.
Nothing has changed.
Except that women are no longer excluded.
Nothing has been learned.
the cream of youth
again and again
preparing to die
*Title is from Robert Burns, Man was Made to Mourn (1784)
Strangely enough, the wounded of one generation inspires the next to go. In their pain and shame, they build memorials with donations. The profiteers don’t even pay for those memorials of pain. Sometimes, though, healing does happen. Young people take pause before signing up. And maybe one day, those who make the decisions can stop enforcing the choice on others.
Maybe, Charli, but I’m not holding my breath.
Thanks for taking the time to follow the link.
Powerful writing. The emotions of so many of us held up to the light and laid bare for the world to feel too.
It needs to be said. Over and over. Until it stops.
Thank you, Rebecca, I appreciate you taking the time to follow the link.
I keep saying it but I don’t know if anyone listens.
Your words encourage those of us who do listen, to keep fighting.
And you’re right – it’s still the young, still largely the working class. Sadly, I’m not sure we’ll ever learn
Thank you, Lynn. Sadly, like everything else in our world today, this is driven by the greed of the very wealthy few.
Lots of money to be made in death, no matter how it comes
impressive and emotional as it’s true, alas!
That’s very well said