” For heroes and horses!”.
For heroes and horses, and widows who mourn,

For the single young solder who won`t see the dawn,

For the lonely young lady who waits for her lad,

For the mother who frets when the battle is bad.
For donkeys and ponies who stood to the fore,

And who never did flinch in the blood and the gore,

For dogs and for pigeons, who also took part

With angelic wings and a `giant – like` heart.
For all the young warriors lost to the fight,

Who gave their last breath for the cause of this plight,

For millions of surnames initialled in stone,

Who went to the battle, and never came home.
For heroes and horses, and animals good,

Unblinking, unswerving, who fell where they stood,

The freedom you gave us, your sacrifice made,

Cannot!. – In our lifetime!. – Be ever re – paid!.
Rest in perfect peace my heroes. – I am eternally grateful

to you all. xx ( Heroes and Horses! ). xx

Mick.

( Copyright Michael Westwood 2016 )

Painting ‘For Heroes And Horses, The Poppies Grow’ by Jacqueline Hurley from The War Poppy Collection 1914-1918 http://www.poshoriginalart.co.uk

  
From a little child`s eye. 
” Proud ! “.

I watched you marching proudly, I saw you standing there,

So silent and so solemn, straight and tall,

I saw you with your medals shining, in the autumn air,

But I didn`t understand, – I was too small.

I saw your shoulders stiffen, when the standard lowered down,

And the bugle played that haunting sad lament,

And I noticed that small teardrop, that escaped all on it`s own,

But I couldn`t understand, – just what it meant.
I joined you standing quietly, as you stood there in deep thought,

As you laid that wreath of poppies on the ground,

And again I saw the tears of what those bitter memories bought,

In the sadness of the people all around.
I saw your body straighten, as `Reveille` called to you,

And you saluted, once again, those names in stone,

Then you and your old soldiers, would march off, beyond my view,

Leaving poppies, and that cenotaph, – alone.
I never have forgotten you, because I have come to know,

And understand just why your tears were shed, – in that sad way,

And the thought that you implanted, has rooted, and will grow,

Of you, and your `proud teardrops`, – and our ` Remembrance Day ! `.
 God bless you Dad, and all of your kind, who fought so proudly, and sacrificed so unselfishly, so that we who followed may live in freedom. xxxx. 

Rest In Perfect Peace. (`Stand at ease lads`, – stand easy ` ).

 Mick.

Poem “Proud!” ( Copyright Michael Westwood 2014 ).

Painting “Thank You Tommy Atkins!” by Jacqueline Hurley (www.poshoriginalart.co.uk)