{"id":176,"date":"2020-06-27T12:56:11","date_gmt":"2020-06-27T11:56:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/olioweb.me.uk\/spence\/?page_id=176"},"modified":"2021-07-13T18:19:23","modified_gmt":"2021-07-13T17:19:23","slug":"ve-day-8th-may-2020","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/olioweb.me.uk\/spence\/?page_id=176","title":{"rendered":"VE Day, 8th May 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

My old self, an eight year old,
\nin Bradford’s home embrace,
\nwhen war in Europe ended;
\nmissing my older brother, a
\ncold sailor in the Atlantic
\nstorms, anchored in Canada.<\/p>\n

He returned, safe, proudly
\nwith his Canadian bride,
\nto a freezing Britain; and
\nan unhappy baptism into
\nwinter’s desolation taking
\nthem back, never to return .<\/p>\n

Odd, now to remember 1945
\nin a Cumbrian village, my
\nretirement home, among
\ndifferent voices, wanting
\nto honour all those who
\nserved during the war.<\/p>\n

This, in a time of virus
\ninduced isolation, with
\na new generation at war
\nwith a silent enemy, in
\nuniforms unlike anything
\nproudly worn before.<\/p>\n

The flags are out, and lots
\nof bunting quickly made,
\nflutters in the sunny breeze.
\nOur tables, dressed for tea,
\nsit separate on the paths,
\neach socially distant.<\/p>\n

Greetings pass across the
\nfestive street, and at the
\nstroke of three o’clock
\nwe raise our glasses in
\na toast, to thank both
\nserving generations.<\/p>\n

NEXT POEM ><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\"\"\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

https:\/\/olioweb.me.uk\/spence\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/VE-Day.mp3<\/a><\/audio><\/p>\n

My old self, an eight year old,
\nin Bradford’s home embrace,
\nwhen war in Europe ended;
\nmissing my older brother, a
\ncold sailor in the Atlantic
\nstorms, anchored in Canada.<\/p>\n

He returned, safe, proudly
\nwith his Canadian bride,
\nto a freezing Britain; and
…<\/p>\n

Continue readingVE Day, 8th May 2020<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

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