Year 10 students composed their own war poetry in a recent project. The students watched a portion of the film, Saving Private Ryan, and made plasticine models before writing their own verses. English teacher, Selina Kurek and Mr Alex Cooper led the sessions which focussed on the adjectives used to describe soldiers' emotions in warfare. Here's a selection of poems.
War Poem
As my friend tumbled down to the ground,
Limp and falling down he went.
He hit the floor such a sound,
The sight I saw was him content.
No more battle, no more pain,
His battle and war was at an end.
Without him, it will never be the same,
Without my one and only true friend.
I stood there numb and shocked,
I saw around me, men were running.
I tried to call but my jaw was locked,
I didn't see the mortar coming.
By Taylor Robertson
They Say It's Only War
Blood and guts,
We're no longer firing duds.
We're in the trench,
And there's a foul wrench.
They say it's only war.
So pick up your gun,
There is no sun.
I just want my mum,
They say it's only war.
By Brett Bradshaw
Soldier's Integrity
The protest heard was not from him,
This came from his wife.
She refused to understand,
That war's just part of life.
He wiped her tears while telling her:
"You know I have no choice,"
"I must go and fight for those"
"Who no longer have a voice."
"Promise me that you'll come home."
He smiled, then said, He'd try,
"But as you know, this is war,"
"And soldiers often die."
This soldier marched away from peace,
And straight into hostility.
Drafted by Uncle Sam,
But by his own integrity.
"I'm proud of you," she said at last,
While standing at his grave.
"See no one took your life from you."
"For freedom- this you gave."
By Andrew Brisk
Storming the Beach
Boom! Crash! RAT-TAT-TAT!
Went the guns as I ran like the wind,
With my company up the beach,
To our almost certain deaths.
I watched another one of us,
Gunned down by an unforgiving gun;
Unrelenting, the bullets came,
No rest for the wicked.
By Oliver Newton
Thinking of Home
Before the war I felt as strong as an ox,
Now I'm here, I just want to cry like a baby.
I was so scared; I huddled in the corner…
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The guns go off around me,
I think to myself I lied to get here,
Oh my goodness the guns get near.
I wish I was at home,
Just alone with my cat.
Instead i'm on a beach full of dead bodies,
But I'm huddled under a hat.
Then I woke up in a fight and full of sweat,
And I realised it's a dream, it's a dream,
So I don't have to be scared anymore.
By Sian Cullinane
Battleship
My last journey on this earth,
I expect it to be over soon.
It started with everyone ready,
But then the explosions start.
The barrier drops, we are on the front line.
It takes seconds for the floor to be littered with bodies.
The sharp pain in my chest,
The liquid flowing out of my veins.
The sweet release of death grips me,
My time is over now!
This was my last journey on earth.
By Rosie Moone
War Poem
It was a cold day in February 1944,
There seemed no end,
To this cold and bloody war.
Nerves are all on edge,
With the shelling all around.
My ears had not stopped ringing,
In my day out in the ground.
I check my rusty gun,
And make sure it's ready to fire.
The last thing I need is a hole in my attire.
Without a proper meal to keep me through the day,
This cold and bloody war seems like it's here to stay.
By Dean Strickland
Be Proud
Alone, stood the man in uniform,
Next to army's flag,
Of fifty white stars and red and white stripes.
Proud, stood the man, death could wait.
One hand on his chest,
One hand on his gun.
Alone, he stood , tall and straight.
The national anthem he sung, loud and clear.
Proud, stood the man, death could wait.
By Robert Lucas
The Frontline
On the frontline,
Many people die.
One man died,
And lost his limbs
And died on the frontline.
Although he died,
His arm still laid there,
And his leg still laid there
And someone died on him
And that was the end
Of Luke the soldier.
His legacy ended there.
By William Downey
War Poem
I was shaking, scared and speechless
As the shells dropped around me.
He was pinned to the ground like Jesus on cross.
Dieing a dreadful death,
But I still feel the pain of losing a friend.
By Samuel Dorrity
He stood with his gun to my head,
I stared at him straight in the eyes.
Dead, still, dead, silent
Everyone was dropping like flies.
By Hannah Johnson
War Poem
This afternoon I sat and watched a man die,
He wasn't afraid; he seemed in a good cheer.
This evening I sat and asked myself
Why a dying man should feel no fear?
One minute he breathed a faint smile on his face.
He wasn't afraid.
He seemed so at peace.
One minute he was here and then he was gone.
An empty shell in a lonely place
By Afzal Hussain
War Poem
War is such a terrible thing.
What is it worth? What does it bring?
People screaming in despair,
Dead bodies lay everywhere.
My mind went blank, didn't know what to do,
I was terrified, trembling,
I'd forgotten everything I knew.
The adrenalin was kicking, heard a shot, felt fear
How much longer would I be here?
The pride of serving our country didn't last long,
As we lost our men, one by one, one by one…
By Ashleigh Marshall
War Poem
As I saw my friend run into the middle of the battle,
I saw the thousands of bullets which would kill hundreds of cattle.
I shouted STOP, but it was too late
My friend just died in a real bad state.
It was then that it struck me,
His wife and children have lost a great family member.
I feel bad, could I have done more?
The bullets fly on, and on goes the war
By Brandon Furey
War Poem
My life was standing right before me,
I carry on defeating the enemy.
Anger fills my buzzing brain
As I get hit by the thundering rain.
Adrenalin rushes through my body,
Thoughts and emotions go over my mind.
I try and imagine how I could be
Without the fighting and pain.
By Giselle Gelipter
War Poem
I feel the pain rush through my body,
My fellow soldiers dead on the floor.
I fire my rifle towards the horizon
I am determined to win this war.
I think of the victory, I am standing tall,
But in this war, I am very small.
The fear I feel now, will last me a lifetime
A lifetime full of regrets…
Fear on the FrontLine
Fear on the frontline is a part of me,
Always there even when I sleep.
Blood flows through my body like the Dead Sea,
I hear the splash of their footsteps creep pass
I tap the trigger, then reload.
I stumble over my best friend
My fears and emotions explode
Is this the end?
By Jenny Robb x 2
The Soldier and the Flag
The flag stood tall, swaying back and forth,
Watching over this terrible war.
Without a scratch or mark,
No one would fire at the American flag.
But there lay this American soldier,
Who has no shoulder.
He fought for his country, fought for his friends,
But his life ends.
By Curtis Hamilton
War Poem
Aimless, soulless, yet full of heart
He never felt like this at the start.
Brave and bold, full of pride,
He did not walk, he did not stride.
He gave his life, for so many others,
He faded away for his sisters and brothers.
So think of how he felt, it's guaranteed,
Your heart too will melt.
By Rachel Harrison
War Poem
Will I make it through my time in living hell?
Do I possess a powerful will?
I've tried to be strong,
I've tried to overcome,
But I don't think I possess the strength to carry on.
I'm torn between,
There's no right choice.
I've gotta fight back,
I won't be scarred for life.
Screams of pain fill the cold and desolate battle plain.
Thousands await there almost certain death,
Whilst others are taking their final breath.
As Death grows ever near to their already growing fear,
This they fight on ever strong with their honour and courage to push them on.
By Carrick West
One Man with a Gun
Long ago, the war in play,
In my trench, asleep I lay.
I heard a pounding bang and I awoke,
I heard a man, strange words he spoke.
Twisted, terrified, I lay so still,
Praying inside, waiting until,
He would reach me, I could not run.
It's just one soldier, with a gun.
By Bethany York
The Frontline
On the frontline,
Many people die.
One man died,
And lost his limbs
And died on the frontline.
Although he died,
His arm still lay there,
And his leg still laid there.
Someone died on him,
And that was the end
Of Luke the soldier.
His legacy ended there.
By William Downey
