Pupils in J4 have recently produced an anthology of writing on the First World War. J4 parents and boys voted Jerome Gasson’s poem ‘Tasting Death’ as their favourite piece of writing. It was a mark of how difficult it was to choose a winner by the fact that some twenty poems were nominated by the voters to be in first or second place.

 

Tasting Death

 

“Go and join the army”

At least that’s what the poster said

But isn’t that a bit barmy

When so much blood is shed

 

“Go and serve your country”

That is all that they say

They haven’t said it’s voluntary

Our life is a heavy price to pay

 

“Go and fight the malicious foe”

That means the jaws of death

Inexorably to our end we go

Choking on gas, in our breath

 

“Go over the top and shoot ‘em

Go and fight the Hun”

Even though I’ve nothing against them

And the chances are ten to one

 

“Go, the trenches need defending”

Amongst the crawling lice

With mud and blood unending

Instead of sunshine, vice

 

“Hear the shells and screaming

See corpses on the ground”

I smell blood, even when I’m dreaming

And taste death all around

 

But that is just the first day

Thousands wounded, thousands dead

And this is what the generals say:

“A small mistake” and “Don’t worry Fred”

 

Jerome Gasson