FUTILITY. Wilfred Owen.

All that slaughter was futile! But nobody ever seems to learn from the past:-(

From the other side of the trenches: www.worldwarone.it/2012/04/poets-and-world-war-grodek-by-georg.html

What a lovely image Amelia and nice tribute. :)

What candles may be held to speed them all?
Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyes
Shall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes.
The pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall;
Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds,
And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds.

From Anthem for Doomed Youth. Wilfred Owen.

Have you listened to Benjamin Britten's war requiem Steve?. The music is strident and unsentimental, and fits well to Wilfred Owen's poems including Anthem for Doomed Youth

Britten: War Requiem

The film is excellent too, but not to everyone's taste.

Thanks for the link, Amelia, I listened to some of it and will return to listen to more, I think. I have been amazed by the centrality of war commemoration to Australia’s National culture. Go to any tourist office and near the top of their recommendations will be a local memorial. The Anzac museum in Albany -departure point for those going to Gallipoli and other theatres of war - is overwhelming in its attention to the details of these events. It seems to be the foundiation of a true sense of what it means to be an Australian. Very different from anything I’ve ever experienced in the UK.

Hello Amelia great shots indeed and certainly the Poppy with water droplets

Best wishes ... Steve

There is one from an Italian poet,Giuseppe Ungaretti, very short. It was written in July 1918 when he was a soldier.

Soldati - Si sta come d'autunno sugli alberi le foglie.

Soldiers - We are like leaves on the trees in autumn.

And we know what happens to the leaves in autumn. I always loved this little poem.

Just so sad. So little learned.. so faint the hope

We must NEVER forget.

Bien.

Jolie !

Judith has taken the words from my mouth.