Mile upon mile in lasting peace,
Immune from the warring pain,
All “lads together” at the end,
As they had once begun.

We paraded each a hero.
Hoorah’d them through the town,
And hoped through tears and silent prayers,
That death would search in vain.

But shelling, wire and rifle
Destroyed their fragile lives.
Each brave and loyal soldier fell,
Innocence painfully dies.

Darkness gave them dignity,
Till ghosts in morning-grey,
Reclaimed their slaughtered comrades,
And carried them away.

When leaves fall we’ll remember them,
As the blood-red poppy masses.
We’ll salute the valiant, mile on mile,
Beneath the Pure White Crosses.

                                                                                   *******************************

Further church, history and railway-related articles by Charles Moorhen:

Overcome ‘Writer’s Block’ With Just One Word

Henry Bessemer’s Extravagant Attempt to Cure His Seasickness

Paper Recycling in the 1950’s

Caravan and Motorhome Dealers Directory 2011

Fall and Rise of the Great Selborne Yew Tree

Lost Medieval Church Paintings of England

Exploring The English Church

Origins of Traditional Wedding Customs

The Winding Country Lanes of England

12 Practical Tips For Safer Winter Driving

Did Charles Dickens Really Invent ‘Miss Havisham’

A Unique, Unusual and Fascinating Farm Gate

Bricked Up Heart and a Ghost in Woodford Church

The English Church: The Baptismal Font

The English Church: Exploring the English Churchyard

English Churches: Selborne Church in Hampshire

English Churches: Cheriton Church in Hampshire

English Churches: Brixworth Church in Northamptonshire

English Churches: Clifton Hampden Church in Oxfordshire

English Churches: Charwelton Church in Northamptonshire

She Became the Fastest Typist in Europe

Timothy Dexter: Emperor of America

Timothy Dexter: Farm Boy to Millionaire

The Popularity of the Railway Camping Coach

Origin of the ‘Humpty Dumpty’ Nursery Rhyme

The Tudor Origin of the ‘Mary Mary Quite Contrary’ Nursery Rhyme

The Intriguing Origin of the ‘Little Jack Horner’ Nursery Rhyme

The Great Little Brownie 127 Camera

Smith’s Crisps and the Little Blue Salt Bag

The Grisly Murder of ‘Sweet Fanny Adams’ (and the origin of the saying ‘sweet FA’)

Britain’s First Railway Murder

The Historical ‘Uffington White Horse’

London’s Unique Funeral Railway

15 Historical Railway Facts You Possibly Never Knew

Is This The Oldest Woolworth’s Christmas Tree In The World

Superstitions Surrounding Babies

Five Easy Steps to Improve Your Cycling Enjoyment

Great Little Wind-Up Radio

‘Pure White Crosses’: (The Musical Version of the Poem)

‘They Made Me Stay Behind’: World War One Poem

‘I Believed You Honourable’: World War One Poem

Autobiographical stories of the 1950’s and 1960’s by Charles Moorhen:

Reaching For The Stars

Santa Claus is Hiding Behind the Curtain

A Double Decker Mystery That Lasted Nearly 40 Years

The ‘Bread-Roll Lady’ Visits Our Prefab Estate

Not A Promising Start

Meat Pie and Two Forks

Hop, Skip and Jump

Boredom After Brown Gravy

Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining

Along Dover Promenade For a Walk In My Past (Part fiction)