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Dark Skies

from Life In The Gutter by Lynn Gerrard

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about

This poem was written to commemorate the soldiers and families of The Great War on it's 100th Anniversary and all proceeds will be donated to The Not Forgotten Association who provide leisure and recreation opportunities for Service and ex-Service military personnel from the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force who have been wounded, who have sustained permanent injuries in the line of duty or after leaving the Service.

lyrics

Dark Skies


Dark skies hung as heavy

As a fat dog's sweaty belly

When Arthur took her hand outside the abattoir.

And to the tune of doom filled moos

Arthur bit his lip and shuffled his shoes

Before asking Mary if she would be his girl


A gas light flickered into life

At the gas lamp lighting mans first strike

Adding dancing shadows to Mary's blushing cheeks

And as Arthur waited for a yea or nay

With a half chewed lip and a nervous sway

A stray dog paused to pee upon his leg


Pretending that she hadn't seen

Arthur's pants leg start to steam

Mary swallowed a titter and replaced it with a grin

Then giving Arthur's hand a squeeze

Whilst feeling quite weak at the knees

With an eager nod she agreed to be with him



And so their courtship began with joy

The young housemaid and the slaughterhouse boy

Snatching stolen moments 'tween cleaning and killing cows

And sure enough it wasn't long

Before true love blossomed and with passions strong

They were up the aisle exchanging heartfelt vows


In a two up two down in a tiny street,

The newly weds nuptials being complete,

A few months on saw Mary with news to share

And over a jellied eel and a plate of tripe

Arthur's eyes shed tears of delight

To hear of the child that Mary would soon bear


The years passed quickly, as they do

But their love for the other just grew and grew

Bringing two more babies to join the happy clan

And whilst Arthur's pay from his slaughtering days

Just about managed to keep hunger at bay

Mary fed well from the love she held for her man



But times were changing and very soon

More dark skies, bringing doom and gloom

Would empty their bowels on the happy family scene

And as nappies were washed and grazed knees fixed

A cruel world played nasty tricks

When war broke out, incinerating hopes and dreams


One by one young soldiers left

To fight for freedom as their families wept

Never knowing as they waved them off who would come home

And so it was she stood that day

A heartbroken Mary whose tears would say

" Be safe, my Arthur, don't leave us on our own"


Still, Mary had more luck than some

Although not often Arthur's letters did come

And she'd trace a fretful finger over each word

Which, written from some mud drenched trench,

Despite the cheer Arthur's prose did attempt,

Couldn't hide the horrors of a blood soaked, mindless world



But Mary had a plan in mind

To keep her busy until such time

As Arthur's slaughtering boots would once more rest

On the threadbare rug at the side of the bed

Where she prayed each day 'till her knees nearly bled,

And she smiled the more she thought about her quest


Off to the hospital she would go

To tend to the wounded and let them know

That a caring, loving hand would help them cope

With their broken bones and their missing limbs

And their shattered minds, paying for the sins

Of those who sent them into hell without any hope


So it was, Mary walked that day

Homeward bound with a weary sway

But happy, to have served in helping those

Whose loved ones waited with baited breath

For the familiar tread upon a well worn step

As bent and buckled their heroes limped back home



It was just in passing the abattoir

That Mary's cheer began to sour

And pondering as to why she raised her eyes

To see above the darkening folds of the crumpling clouds

As they swallowed the gold of the morning's sun

To make way for sinister skies


Trying to ignore these foreboding flavours

Mary knocked on the door of her neighbour

And with a smile that belied her worry she carried on in

To cuddle her kids and to thank her friend

Upon whose kindness Mary's work did depend

But the face that greeted Mary's wore a veil of grim


The kids were chewing on their bread and jam

As Mary was passed the telegram

And a shaking hand sensed the weight of the words within

And thunder groaned and muffled the cries of a grief stricken Mary

Who, through tear soaked eyes

Read "Deeply regret..." before collapsing as her world caved in



Dark skies, thankfully, didn't last

And the sacrifices made in the Great War's pernicious past

Allowed for a peaceful new start in a troubled world

Where despite the relief and the jubilation

The human cost didn't warrant celebration

As grieving families struggled to come to terms


And as for Mary and her much loved brood

Well, times were hard but they struggled through

And on many occasion they'd wander to the abattoir

To stand on the corner where she'd reminisce

About simpler times and true loves first kiss

When the slaughterhouse boy asked the housemaid to be his girl


Now bright skies saunter overhead

As we pay our respects to the bold, brave dead

Who gave the ultimate so we could live our lives

Lives we should cherish every day

Remembering the freedom that came our way

Through the Arthur's and the others who for our sake gave up theirs.


© Copyright Lynn Gerrard 2.8.2012

credits

from Life In The Gutter, track released July 16, 2014

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