Poppy Fields: Inspired Poems of Remembrance and Reflection on the Adversity of War

'Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn'. These are the heart-rending words that struck deep into the souls of so many, who suffered the trauma of the loss of loved ones, who paid the ultimate price for their country. So many innocent young boys set out from these shores never to return and some returned as men, bearing memories that would haunt them forever, alas, their youth having been snatched from them prematurely. All these years later the poignancy of the Flanders poppies as they cascade down during the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance still fills us with not only deep emotion but also pride. Sometimes war is justified albeit the very last resort after much soul-searching and all other options have been exhausted. "Poppy Fields 2005" is a poetry book written by new and accomplished authors, many of whom have experienced the two world wars in which too many people have died. At home and abroad the devastation was horrific. These poems provide a harrowing insight into the ordinary person's conception and memories of our world at war. 'When the war of the giants is over the wars of the pygmies will begin ...' - Winston Churchill. The later conflicts in the Middle East reached a different level - the brutality encountered was no less painful albeit by a different enemy - in a different century, some of which has been mirrored in many of the poems in this anthology. Courage and chivalry was for many the norm...the extra mile was taken by some people as a means of defence against the intolerable reality of what was actually happening in the world. Placing life today in stark contrast, the authors in this book deliver many sombre thoughts and reflections as they capture the aspects of bravery, sacrifice and tragedy with the ultimate hope that heroes, past and present are remembered and honoured. There are poems that talk of in-depth personal experiences; some of the horror of war and some even have a light-hearted touch. Many are written with great pride; war was not for the faint-hearted and there were many unsung heroes; in the words of our great wartime leader, Winston Churchill, 'never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few'. Then there are poems offering another slant, that of the traumas of everyday life at home, the versatility and the adaptability in times of need, the munitions factory worker, the Women's Land Army, the night bombings and the fear. But...stoicism was our great forte, and camaraderie and the hand of friendship was never far away. To acknowledge those that fought and died for our lives, GBP 2,000 of sales from "Poppy Fields 2005" will be donated to the Royal British Legion.