Flypast at Henry's Funeral

[Check Six]

For those who haven't seen it...

 

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8176631.stm

Edited July 31, 2009 by Check Six

[themightysrc]

Beautiful stuff. I would love to actually fly that there Pup.

 

Looking at the vid, I was suddenly struck by how far there still is to go with WWI flight sims - can you imagine a game where you look down at planes flying below you with an urban or rural background and have that amount of detail and activity?

[ONETINSOLDIER]

thought Id post the poem that is linked on that page,,,nicely written.

 

LAST POST

 

In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,

He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.

 

If poetry could tell it backwards, true, begin

that moment shrapnel scythed you to the stinking mud…

but you get up, amazed, watch bled bad blood

run upwards from the slime into its wounds;

see lines and lines of British boys rewind

back to their trenches, kiss the photographs from home-

mothers, sweethearts, sisters, younger brothers

not entering the story now

to die and die and die.

Dulce- No- Decorum- No- Pro patria mori.

You walk away.

 

You walk away; drop your gun (fixed bayonet)

like all your mates do too-

Harry, Tommy, Wilfred, Edward, Bert-

and light a cigarette.

There's coffee in the square,

warm French bread

and all those thousands dead

are shaking dried mud from their hair

and queuing up for home. Freshly alive,

a lad plays Tipperary to the crowd, released

from History; the glistening, healthy horses fit for heroes, kings.

 

You lean against a wall,

your several million lives still possible

and crammed with love, work, children, talent, English beer, good food.

You see the poet tuck away his pocket-book and smile.

If poetry could truly tell it backwards,

then it would.

 

By Carol Ann Duffy, Poet Laureate

___________________________________________________________

 

Henry, Harry, you may stand down.

R.I.P. gentlemen

[JimAttrill]

The flypast background is Brighton. His pallbearers were 3 RN and 3 RAF serving members. And two of his great-grandchildren are in the US Navy.

[UK_Widowmaker]

The flypast background is Brighton. His pallbearers were 3 RN and 3 RAF serving members. And two of his great-grandchildren are in the US Navy.

 

I used to live in Brighton (not that it bears any resemblance to the story)

[CaptSopwith]

Wow...