Opium Sea of the Dead

Opium Sea of the Dead

"Poppy, Sir?" he said.
I moved my head
From side to side.
"They're all dead,"

I said. "And why?
Why did they have to die?
Was it for you and I?
Or was it for a lie?" 

"All in a good cause, Sir," 

He added with a look 

I recognised from the blur

Of the dying dead in a book 

I'd read a long time ago.

"But," I asked, "Did they all 

Have to go

And fall?"

This land, I thought,

Has since been sold

And bought

For fool's gold 

To those they elected

The dead to protect

Us from 

On the Somme. 

They lied, of course.

It was to disarm

Us that force

And alarm 

Manifested

To test us

Again

And again and again and again ...

He saw the image of our Queen
And with tearful eye:
"I'd go again, Ma'am. I'm no has-been.
For you your Majesty I'd go and die!"

I looked at his decomposing face
And thought you do what you will,
But I have seen an island race
Become near-extinct for that thrill.

From the darkness we turn to the sun;
To search beyond endless blood red
Poppies in the opium sea of dead
Who are for ever gone, gone, gone ...