Poem penned in anger and sorrow

Dennis Travis

A GRANDAD has penned a poignant poem to commemorate the First World War.

Dennis Travis, from Greenfield, who is 84 next month, has had his writing published in the past and is often featured on radio.

A member of Oldham Writers’ Group, the former teacher at St John’s Primary School, Failsworth, was proud to share his work.

The poem — entitled “The ‘Great?’ War” — was written in memory of his dad, Joseph Travis, who served with the Manchester Regiment on the Somme.

He said: “I just want my poem to be recognised as a commemoration to all those who fought in the First World War. I was reading about the anniversary and looking at some war poetry and got some ideas.

“My dad didn’t speak a great deal about the war so I can only imagine that it was hell on earth.

“I just felt the war was the most dreadful mistake we’ve ever made — to commit all those lads to that — so it’s written in anger and in sorrow.”

Mr Travis enjoys contemporary poetry and counts Seamus Heaney and Simon Armitage among his favourite poets.

Why leave soldiers buried deep

For a hundred years under mud or marble

Before you showed us what really happened?

Why should a football stadium’s

Worth of young men, fall

In the first hour of battle?

Was it because there were more bullets than bodies?

Or are generals more accident-prone than most?

Ask Maxim and the other lauded engineers

Who fitted a higher gear to war

And efficient legal slaughter.

Cretinous, highly-polished Generals

Stood and watched arms and ammunition

Overtake the old Army Manual.

They showed no interest in machine guns (or tanks)

(‘Nothing a cavalry charge won’t cure.’)

Then an Army Ballistics Sergeant

Draped a fat gun barrel

With a golden necklace of bullets.

‘When you get my signal

Give the trigger a short squeeze

And the gun will jerk and stutter’;

(You could imagine you’re stitching khaki tunics)

Alright for Jerry behind the gun,

But when these bullets strike they ‘Tumble’,

As if engineered to ‘cartwheel’.

Think what that does to bone and tissue.

And why overnight, precious lives become cheap.

What price then a cavalry charge?