Remembrance
My grandfather
A man I never met
Gave his life for peace
At war.
He left his wife and son
Set off to Africa
Never to return until the job
was done.
But there was no return
No journey, safely home
Instead a POW route march
Through Italy.
A road of blood
With final destination
A death so far away
Only 45.
No battlefield
No ugly, bloodstained glory
A prisoner of war
In Poland.
His grave is distant too
Beside his comrades
22 September 1943
So young.
His son born in 1934
Last saw his dad in ’39
Until that headstone
In 2009.
Missing memories
Lost years
Empty spaces
No photos.
No birthdays
Anniversaries
weddings or parties
No words.
A poppy cannot fill the void.
My grandfather’s grave is in Berlin in Charlottenburg war grave cemetery. He never came home.
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23 comments on “Remembrance”
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Green Lizard's Blog 
Clicked ‘like’, but that doesn’t seem apt. You know what I mean.
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I do. Yes. Does anyone know when world peace is booked for?
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World peace… where I live? Yeah right 😦
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And then they use this day to divide people further and justify war. Yet we are all neighbours. We are all the same. That’s what makes me sad. The hatred. Salam alaikum.
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Very moving. It is the individual stories that bring it home to you.
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A fitting and moving tribute. Yes, clicking ‘like’ didn’t really cut it.
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No. But thanks. Its strange when you know so little about a person.
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I remember visiting the war graves at Arnhem – row up on row of white slabs with names of those so young. Wars are terrible, all people I’ve known who took part in wars condemn them, but leaders still whip up hatred to keep wars going because it feeds the profits of the industrial-military complex. Personally, if a political leader or member of The Establishment wants to go to war, I believe they should be forced to go up front and lead the forces. That would stop war overnight because it’s old men and women who send young men and women to their untimely deaths.
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That’s what the graveyard in Berlin was too. Very peaceful and well cared for. But the idea that disagreements between countries should be settled by such dreadful waste of young lives even today is no evidence of a civilised society.
There’s no general’s blood in the fields. Only ordinary people.
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Moving, sad, and too many millions of stories like this. Nobody “leads” their troops into war any more, they push other people’s children.
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Exactly. When i ask myself ‘why was my dad an only child?’, ‘why is my family the way it is?’ Its such a massive legacy.
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Thank you for your tribute.
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Haunting and beautiful. You expressed my sentiments better than I could have. I don’t know about your beliefs, but in mine you will have the opportunity to get to know your loved ones in eternity. I hope I’m right and that your grandfather has the time with HIS loved ones that he was robbed of in this life. As for war being a rotten way to solve the world’s problems – here is a link I especially love: http://www.ratical.org/ratville/CAH/warisaracket.pdf
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Thank you for your comment. I do wish there were such an answer to death it does sound positive. Thank you for the link.
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It certainly is a racket. Thank you : )
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Very moving. I might visit him some day.
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Do. Its a great place. Very peaceful. There are many nationalities and cultures represented. Weve only been once. Might be back soon.
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I used to live quite close to there but will probably make it some weekend. The Christmas market in Charlottenburg is meant to be lovely 🙂
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Sounds good too. Im glad he ended up in a nice spot.
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It’s a lovely area.
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The war graves were moved. So he died in piland but was relocated at some pount in the next few years as they created the larger cemetaries. There’s very little information about these men.
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How sad.
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Yep. But at least this way they ended yp in a significant place. With a surname like our theres virtually no information.
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