The Memorial

The great bear stands tall,
Defender of death, keeper of peace.
Never dying, sleeping or breathing,
The last keeper of peace.

The trees wave in the wind,
Like the hands of the dead.
Walls empty of names,
But sure to be filled.

The dead fought for us and died for us,
To save us from the invaders and certain death.
The infinite pain and sorrow of those that pass us by,
For peace and safety to save us all from death.

The tears of those who loved and lost,
Are the sources of all our rivers.
The dead have perfect peace.

By Chris King M7

 

Remembrance

Loud gunshots heard by dying men on the ground,
People dying all around,
Again and again they will not yield,
Everybody died in Flanders Field.

Trees and poppies remember them,
They died fighting for peace,
An endless list of names,
Will the wars ever cease?

Ninety years later we still remember,
The day the war ended, the 11th November.

Peace,
A thousand white doves flying into the air,
And swirling around without a care,
Trees and forests full of life,
Birds and squirrels, and no more strife.

Liam Burton M7

 

The end

The end is near
So close I can touch it
The soldiers traumatized and retreating
The soldiers getting shot right before me
The feeling of getting shot
Will this war ever end?

By Andrew Hasker M7

 

War

There is a space where the sun light comes through on the 11th day
                       Of the 11th month
                                                   At 11 o’ clock.                                                                                                           
It is there to remember the army
                                                The navy
                                                       And the air force.
And in the bear’s stone there is a spider
                                                   Trapped in time,
Like the soldiers who died.

By Michael Huskisson M7

 

So many died to save the country.

Regiments fell in battle.
Shell shocked men sat, moaning for their mothers.
The sound of people weeping in despair.
So many names, their spirits watching everyone,
Securing memories in the memorial.
Statues of pure marble, of men and women like you and me,
Who lost their lives for queen and country.     

Brad Hackett      M7

 

My poem

I am a young oak tree
Someone planted me,
I’m in memory
Of a brave young soldier called Lee

Plenty of people have died
And so many have cried.
I’m here all year round
My roots still in the ground.

So many soldiers cry and fall
The sun shines down
On the memorial walls.

By Emma Benton
M7

 

War

Noise of the war
The noise I had to ignore

Soldiers to be
Now lost at sea

Many people died at war
Too much blood and gore

Now there’s a perfect place
Where is there space

The name is the national Arboretum

We all still remember
The 11th November

People met
Never forget    
 
The day the war came to an end!

Joe Caudren
M7

 

Minutes

A moment in silence
A second in peace
A minute in quiet
An hour in darkness
41 steps to my place of rest
212 panels to see me again
Blank walls around me of those to come
No open doors for me, all closed
My time has gone
My love has died
I wish you all the best.                                                                                  It will put you to the test

People have won
People have lost
People have run
People have stayed
Courage is a lot.                                                                                         If you have it be proud
You may loose people on the way
But hold your head up and say
I had the courage
And I stayed
As tough as a rock

But now I am a statue
With all my friends
People see me and cry
But they shouldn’t
Cause I served my country
And I am fine.

By: Lizzie Jenner     

Form: M7

 

The National Memorial Arboretum
                                                                                                                
The spider sleeps
On the poem he keeps
Who are these men?
What did they do?

Their names carved in
Stone for all to see
They were good people
They fought for you and me

41 steps lead up
To the war memorial
Of Portland Stone which
Holds all the names

The statues
That are full of memories
Get covered in dust
When the wind blows

The golden eagle
Flies freely
But on its own
Lonely and scared

The blank Portland tiles
Are there
For the people who care
And remember

221 tiles
Nearly carved with names
These go on for miles and miles
The people are often in pain

They died serving there country
We will remember them 

By Holly Simmons M7

 

War Is

War is deadly, revolting, sad and unhappy
War is sweaty, hot, fast and slow

War is no peace, dark and unexpected
War is remembering, tearful and worrying

Let us remember
The ones who served
Our country and paid
With their lives.
              
Jordan Smith M7

 

Oh Animal Crackers!

Oh my, oh dear, oh animal crackers!
The children aren’t writing! What a bunch of slackers!
Playing on the phone, on a game I guess!
They just sit in the tent making so much mess!
Eating chocolate and candy and frilly little sweets!
These children don’t deserve such confectionary treats!

They don’t respect wars or long-lost lovers!
Just making graffiti, for which society suffers!
They need to be taught what to say or how to act!
They’ll do this or get their bags packed!
Oh dear, oh my, oh animal crackers!

By Scott Waldron  M7

 

ENCRYPTED WALLS

A wide landscape the sky so blue.
The sun shining and a light summer breeze.
People walking up and down from the memorial.
Chairs rocking because of the wind. When people sit down on them the rocking stops .
Just like a brave soldier’s heart stopping.

The big polar bear keeps his ground on top of the brick memorial.
Regiments like the 49th West Riding Infantry - the polar bear keeps his watch for ever and ever never to move.
The polar bear’s skin is going green because of the rain - what a shame.

Slowly the train makes its way up to the memorial.
Forty one steps to heaven and back is where people walk.
Encrypted walls all around you .
The door open ready for the eleventh day of the eleventh month of the eleventh hour .
The light will shine through the open door to symbolise remembrance day where all the wreaths are laid to remember all the people that died in the war.

ENCRYPTED WALLS ALL AROUND US NEVER TO BE FORGOTTEN.

BY David Chamberlain

 

The Polar Bear

The polar bear…

He is fierce like the opposition team.
He is as powerful as a king.
He is brave like the solders who have fallen,
He is strong like the families of the lost soldiers.
Stands proud like a winning team.
Stands still like a soldier too scared to move.
Stands up-right like an oak tree.
Stands for remembrance for those who died.

Ellie Jones

 

My poem

I go into war like I’m a pool of water, from all the tears and blood they shed.

All the years of fighting for their country, their lives are cut short as they fall one by one.

All their families are excited for them to return, but start to get sad as there is no one walking through that door.

As they get a phone call they hear the bad news, and fall into a pool of water.

By Keely Mellor
M7

 

Shot At Dawn

They fled to find peace,
But had to cope with the opposite,
Heroes of our country,
Shot At Dawn.

Last letters to their families,
Sent in disgrace,
Heroes of our country,
Shot at dawn.

Friends in the squad,
Armed with guns,
Heroes of our country,
Shot at dawn.

Eyes closed behind blind folds,
Senses running wild,
Heroes of our country,
Shot at dawn.

Sophie Sutcliffe M7

 

Little red train

I’m a little red train,
The people who ride me are often in pain,
Even when there is rain,
The attraction is still a main,

I’m here all year round,
Making my choo choo sound,
People have cried,
When they see the people who have died,

Soldiers names on 221 Portland tiles,
Visitors come from miles and miles,
Blank tiles for more,
Names from the war,

Surrounded by willow trees,
Blowing in the gentle breeze,
People come to remember,
That day in November,

Poppies in Flanders fields,
The day the soldiers put down their shields,
We will remember,
That day in November.

BY KATIE ANELLI M7

 

If I

If I could touch war, it would feel like I was a statue,
Too scared to move,

If I could touch peace, it would feel like heaven, too
Complicated to prove,

If I could touch death, it would feel so cold,
If I could touch the afterlife, I would feel so bold,

If I could touch happiness, it would feel so new,
If I could touch love, it would feel like I never left you.

As people remember me fighting for them, I hope you remember me, as you take my body to the crematorium.

When the walls fill up and the days go by,
My name will be remembered and my family will cry.

By Liam Perkins, M7

 

Empty Walls

Empty walls like something small
Just nothing, nothing at all
To be somewhere your family isn’t
Is like unwrapping the paper without the present
Walking up 41 stairs is like counting 41 grey hairs
Yes getting old to the bone
Where our love will continue on the stone.

People who died for us
People who lived their lives for us,
Will be remembered in our hearts
Even though we’re apart.

By Lydia Watson

 

Love, War and Death

Loved ones passed away in war,
The cold truth that war can take away the ones we love,
Coming here to remember.
                                                                                
Coming up the white steps,
The wind passing by,
Trees blowing in it,
Death is more peaceful than life for these men.

Fighting for their country,
Bloodshed, tears shed,
from wives, children and friends of the dead.

Flags fluttering in the wind,
Are cries of men who have brutally been killed,
The trees amplify the noise
Each tree is a new life

In the stone the names are engraved,
Thousands upon thousands of them,
Which begs the question, why?

Josh Mckeown       M7

 

Remembrance

The beautiful memorial to the tiny details,
Like the spider in the case.
You look around you and all you see is emotion,
Exploding from love.
Once you’ve been there all you know is that this place is
Made from love.

This place is made from love and
That can never be changed
From all the losses the love explodes like
Bombs in Iraq  into your heart
And you know that these people gave you their lives
Not just for our country but for us.

That is what this memorial is for to show respect and remember so
Remember we will

Joseph Hampton M7

 

Remember

They call it the arboretum
Known to remember,
Also, known as war memorial.
What would it be to like touch war?
It would be like getting stung by 1000 nettles.
What would it be like to touch peace?
It would be like a dock leaf healing the nettles.

We should remember.

There is another place,
Known as the armed services’ memorial arboretum.
It climbs 41 steps,
As quiet as something that can’t make a sound.
The wind blows.
The dust flows onto the statue.
Have some gratitude.
We shall Remember.

There is this polar bear.
When sunny is brown,
When wet is green,
It speaks out to everyone,
France, Iceland, Norway, Netherlands,
But what does it mean?
We should remember.

They served our country
We will remember them.

Then, there, the site covered with trees,
There are poppies, their scent on the breeze ,
Red for respect
We shall remember.

Those who have died,
Families that have cried,
Children that have died,
Feel sorry for them,
They didn't deserve to die,
However we respect them. They fight to protects us.
Now we shall protect their graves
We shall remember.

Stacey Fawcett M7

 

The lonely wall

I stand here
So tall
Yet feel so small.

The emotions
Are my devotions.

I stand here
So near
And watch people tear.

I stand here
So lonely
But feel so homely.

I stand here
On a day in May
And it is so grey
It’s as if people lay
Their lives down yesterday

The sight that night
Must have been a fright
For the fight
Was at its height
I will stand here.

In many years
There will be tears
For people have fear
That another fight nears

Kayleigh Bartram. M7