Sunday 26 October 2014

Sunday War Poet ...




Ivor Bertie Gurney

1890 - 1937



To His Love

He's gone, and all our plans
   Are useless indeed.
We'll walk no more on Cotswold
   Where the sheep feed
   Quietly and take no heed.

His body that was so quick
   Is not as you
Knew it, on Severn river
   Under the blue
   Driving our small boat through.

You would not know him now ...
   But still he died
Nobly, so cover him over
   With violets of pride
   Purple from Severn side.

Cover him, cover him soon!
   And with thick-set
Masses of memoried flowers—
   Hide that red wet
   Thing I must somehow forget.




Ivor Gurney was a chorister at Gloucester Cathedral and won a scholarship to the Royal College of Music. At the outbreak of war he volunteered as a private in the Gloucestershire regiment but was initially turned down because of poor eyesight. 

 He joined the 2nd and 5th Gloucestershire regiment in 1915.

 He was wounded and gassed in 1917 while serving in France.


~***~



2 comments:

  1. Thank you Josie - I wondered, when reading this, whether the "he" was his lover.....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm not sure Susan - I like to think it could be...it is certainly for someone special.

      Thanks for visiting...

      Delete

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