Seeing the single grave of
this bright young 17 year old,
now blemished and dulled
by time, brings back an
age of innocence when king
and country and insistent duty
were greater than life itself.

And the sober realisation
remains that this lithe body
and young mind, that so eager
sort to come to this place
far, far away from the world
he knew and the life he dreamed,
gave his body and mind in a fruitless
quest to do what he truly thought
was right and proper in his day.

He lies now forever in his
grave not so deep as time wears
away the place and perhaps
even our memories of this
lonely beach and hill upon which
this 17 year old stood and where
in the teeth of fire his innocence fell.

 

25/4/2023