Poem for your consideration

   Ode to Gelli Green

I’ll not return to Gelli Green
Though summer’s bright and fair
For on the slopes of Gelli Green
My brothers lost I there

Was summer high that fateful year
We gazed on Gelli’s hills
And take we them, our captain said
Our orders to fulfill

So called us to the Gelli folk
Your land we mean to take
And take we will, so leave yea now
And battle we’ll forsake

Replied the Gelli back to us
The choice you give is none
In blood you’ll pay us for our home
Before you see us run

Then forward toward the gelli line
advanced our gallant lads
and lost we one for Gelli slain
our captain quipped “not bad”

but fortune turned away from us
and quickly lost us two
another pair I turned to captain
wondering what to do

i’ll tell you lads, seen this before
good fortune’s held them fast
but fortune’s fickle as you know
how long can Gelli’s last?

how long indeed we soon found out
and lost another two
then two and two and two and two
and yes another two

with heavy hearts we probed the line
and found a slender breech
then mustered all our men at once
moot lesson now to teach

the captain called, we own it now
we won’t go home in shame
in victory we sleep tonight
or tomb without a name

so thru the breech we burst with haste
the weary Gelli ran
and pinned against their baracade
the Gelli made a stand

with vicious cries and fearsome moans
the wreched clash did play
the fall of gelli’s army, then
one gelli broke away

without a thought did I give chase
across and down the hill
and caught him back against the wall
of an abandoned mill

and there he stood with eyes ablaze
round sixteen years at most
his face a snear his hand a knife
the last of gelli’s host

I die he said but though i die
you’ll loath the morning sun
remember we had only five
while you had thirty one

with urgent voice the captain called
with word about attack
defend our homeland now we must
but Spirop you stay back

thru restless days and sleepless nights
my labor did I true
and buried all my fallen mates
and all the gelli too

I’ll not return to gelli green
to this I can attest
for underneath those gelli slopes
regret i’ve put to rest

                                                                                  Spirop

 

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