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War & Peace

to Private JC Irwin
who died aged 18, 31 July 1916

mrs irwin mourns her son
gone too early to his july grave
now kitted out in white
jaunty beret and all
to attention he stands
in his ghostly brigade
for ever to die in the war
to end all wars

how many hopes
mother
must be buried
till war
is killed at last

(from Walking with Angels)
first published in Fire - Issue 24, October, 2004
and in Lines in the Sand Bradshaw Poets 2008