Even when there were no great battles, in which hundreds of thousands died. Average of 600 were killed per day - died during WW1.


A CUSHY* DAY AT PASSCHENDAELE! WW1(more addishans!) ((Adishans)) (An Addishan Two Lines Intro)

One of the lads broke his leg in three places - while playing in kick about - in a game of - smiled broadly - what follows - may explain - why he were happy - why he grind! Why he said: '' My lucky day - lads! '' ; '' Thats my ticket back too **blighty! '' while a younger lad sustained - twisted his ankle the same tackle - were upset as he were maybe not to go up to the front! - twist of faite! He limp to the front - member of number two section!

In-between battles - the front line at Paschendale - it were cushy enough
Got used to the odd shells being lobed overhead - bullets from rifles cracking
All in all a normal kind of day in and around Paschendale!
Machine guns - rat a tatting - lads died - dieing somewhere - here or there a bout's!
We walked across duckboards - squelch sounding of our boots in the mud as we Trudge on to the front line - body's exhumed - by shells - from digging in the trenches that released stench of death - blood - piss and shit!

Body's buried - exhumed - by the score - by exploding shells - maggots - rats - resume their consumption - of the fallen dead! becomes just part of our everyday

Over the duckboards to our days in the trenches - IF they could be called trenches!
More like mud holes! On we by now staggering - MUD - MUD - a strange - color - Blueish - unlike the brown mud back home on the farms back of Thanet!
We trudge by body's - parts of bodies - of both human - horses - mules -
Rats Feeding well of all the fallen!

I saw - two - skeletal remains - who of - who's side - I had no idea, still standing as They had died, held firm by the blueish mud that was Passchendel!
Both had bayoneted the other in the chest - other in the ribs there bayonets - stuck in the boney parts of each other - silly buggers! - should of listand to their Bayonet Instructors:

'' Thrust 'im in the belly - guts - twist - and pull! '' - well some just have to learn the hard Way! Now for eternity - skewed - empty eye sockets - staring - at each other - Unblinking!

Them the terminal way - poor bastards!

Up a head were Number 2 section - suddenly number 2 section ceased to exists!
A shell out of the blue - dropped - exploded - trees, well, if you can call them trees - that Is!
Strip of branches - well a few left - now - three of number 2 sectan - now hung from those trees - as like - well like on an - Easter Tree! Biblical - like!
The remaining thus trees decorated!
Our Sargent with out looking back - ordered us to pick up the duckboards - we had Only just walkde over - to replace those that had just been destryde - by the Exploding shell - on we went To the front line - our faites - to meet - head on!
No battle to take part in - so yes - a cushy day - at Passchendaele!

* cushy - undemanding - easy - The Tommy - understatement - of The Trenches. When being relevde by a replacement unit: '' Whats it like hear chum: '' cushy enough! ''. Origins of the word, Indian or French. The british Tommy, to get bye, survive, words, can help! WW1 saw many news words enter the English language, that we use today.

** Blighty - has back home were called - those in France. Allso: reseveing a wound: '' You lucky so and so, you've a Blighty one!'' Meaning he'd sustained a bad woulnd, at least a wound that would see him sent back to Blighty.

ken d williams

The Dyslexic Wordsmith




Poetry by ken d williams The PoetBay support member heart!
Read 613 times
Written on 2017-11-12 at 16:42

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dee quirke
great work and the words wow
2017-11-14


shells
It's good to have your reminder Ken, we must never forget.
2017-11-12


josephus The PoetBay support member heart!
This time I'll write it correctly!

Ken you paint a powerfully honest picture of the offhanded horror of war. Thanks for reminding me!
2017-11-12


josephus The PoetBay support member heart!
Ken you paint a powerfully hones picture of the offhandedly horror of war. Thanks for reminding me.
2017-11-12