(My stimulation here was the juxtaposition of the relevance of the poppies in today's conflict with that of the past).
Once again we break our men,
those youthful, reckless braveheart souls
who go to war on whose behalf,
surely yours not mine.
Whilst we religious sport poppies
of an altogether different seed
to those beneath our young boys’ tread.
A different flower, a different foe
who do not stand to face our shores
or seek to change our parliament,
but as they fall as petals do
and quietly come home to rest,
another crop kiss mums goodbye
and march away with springing steps.
© Graham Sherwood 11/2009
