A man of Consequence

A Man of Consequence

He was a man of consequence, hardworking all his life,
married with two children and a handsome loving wife.
Not one for idle chit chat, or sessions in the pub,
just happy with his family and his ounce of ready rub.

Then he joined the British army, as a Tommy he would serve,
to fight for King and country, and its freedom to preserve.
Now dressed in khaki uniform, he stood before his kin,
a gentle kiss for one and all, yet a sadness held within.

He wiped the single tear away from his daughter’s dampened cheek,
kissing her just one more time, whilst he gave his son a tweak.
Then they watched him disappear, still waving him goodbye,
the little girl now sobbed and sobbed yet her brother didn’t cry.

Joining the soldiers in his squad, they all marched off to war,
a strange adventure in his sights, unlike he’d seen before.
Having never travelled far and wide, no knowledge of the world,
mysterious and daunting times, this chronicle would unfurl.

Standing now in war torn land, he stood in disbelief,
muddy sludge and freezing cold, no chance of warm relief.
The trenches looked like hell on earth, the smell was putrefied,
each man just hunkered from the cold, just dazed and stupefied.

Artillery fire and rats were rife, his life was on the brink,
underfoot was cloying mud, no chance to even think.
‘Over the top’, the officer yelled, and over top they went,
running into enemy fire and the bullets that they sent.

Many men fell to their knees as others went ahead,
the resonance of enduring pain filled each one with dread.
The man just laid in quiet restraint as he mouthed his children’s names,
he smiled at all the times he spent playing simple family games.

This man of consequence sadly gone, he’d paid a hefty toll,
his wife was left to carry on and with children to console.
She felt the ravage pains of war with an empty broken heart,
yet for her children she stayed strong, determined to restart.

We must never let the sun go down on fallen young or old,
men of consequence were they, with stories to be told.
Each person had a life to lead, each life was so unique,
sit quietly as you think of them before you even speak.

‘Lest We Forget’

Teresa Harrison-Best

November 2024