Remembrance Day

 

On the eleventh day of the eleventh month we remember: today is Remembrance Day.

We especially remember today the sacrifice of soldier-conscripts, police-officers, fire-fighters, ambulance-workers, stretcher-bearers, medics, civil defence volunteers and all others swept up in the evils of war.

We recall the sacrifice too of the animals used in warfare: horses; mules; donkeys; dogs; pigeons; and mascots.

I personally reflect upon the effort of members of my family who were directly involved in the war-front (Great Uncle Ted - a life-long professional soldier in India who died at Ypres; Grandad Cyril - Far East; Grandad Doug - Arnhem) and those who were obliged to stay home to work for the war-effort in essential jobs (Grandad Horace).

We also recall the huge effort made by wimminfolk to take up the jobs left by their menfolk, and especially those who worked & died in the armaments industry.

We recall the civilians killed in war-time: those who had different opinions, such as Communists, Socialists; those who had a different religion, such as Jews, Jehovahs Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventists; we recall those who had different life-styles, Homosexuals & other Queers like myself, Romanies; and those just killed because they were in the wrong place by guns or bombs. 

I remember all the tens of thousands of disabled people, just like me, who were killed under the NAZI’s Aktion T4 programme, the precursor to the Holocaust. And additionally all those disabled folk euthanised by countries like USA and India even when not in a state of war, but in wars against their own citizens.

We remember the indigenous peoples killed to make way for colonists or to gain access to assets. We remember those killed by colonial powers so that they could retain hold on colonies, such as Belgian Congo or British Raj in India.

We remember all those places where war still rages, such as Syria, Yemen.

We recall the deaths of the poor due to actions of the rich, the exploitative economic war of extreme social injustice waged across much of the World.

As a Quaker and Pacifist, I also remember the sacrifice of the conscientious-objectors, who remind us all that Peace can always be an alternative. Many were forced to work in dangerous mines and died as a result.

We are thankful for all those who have helped to bring Peace, no matter their rôle, and brought wars to an end.

We shall remember them. 🙏🏻💕🌺

[Image description: my Great Uncle Ted in his Indian uniform and in his WWI attire.]

Michæl

[Image description: "Michael" a portrait of a hirsute, muscled, bespectacled man,

naked but for a skimpy pair of white briefs; courtesy & © Mr. Jo Ji]

*

Michæl

"he did not presume to pronounce a reviling judgement upon him"

(Jude nine)

*

thud, thud, thud

dance music pounds out

trendy café-bar

youth's cultists

surround

momentarily alone

in the crowded space

a table is vacated

straddling a seat

taking a place

looking out

away from the animated

laughs

frowns

the vociferous longings of desire

staring through the sheet-glass

over the car-park

where myriad lights shimmer or twinkle

calm

inner silence

an eternity

an instant

and it is broken

two male lovers

take the chair beside me

one spoons into the other's lap

distracted by presence

uncomfortable proximity

I turn around

sipping at my Seltzer

punctiliously

glancing at the next two

approaching new arrivals

surreptitiously

half-recognising

yet unsure

the mien opposite mine

strikes a chord

half-remembered

almost recalled

but from where

not from…

nor from…

from…

maybe?

enlightenment

creeps stealthily

and jumps out

of course!

a party long before

six months ago

or thereabouts

it must be

attempting to catch his eye

noticing his orbs remain

unblinkingly

downcast

and cast down

toying with his Bier

cheeks

erubescent

blushing cognisance

or the flush of alcohol

deliberate avoidance

or does he just not know?

his charming, attractive partner

crosses his legs protectively

so no inadvertent touching

uses his expression

the sour scowl of one confident of possession

to parry

advances on his spouse

my pal returns

settles down

in a chair

drawn up to table

the two who are one

and the two who are two

the four

and we two

six in silence

thud, thud, thud

moments race

then dawdle maddeningly

rising from my chair

walking around to him

two eyes remain cast down

staring at the now tepid liquid

eight eyes follow

a look of mistrust from the lover

a look of misapprehension from the paired lovers

a look of curiosity from the friend

oblivious he

down

towards his unproffered ear

I bend

are you…

something of a god

jet hair

bronze skin

piercing sapphire

enchanting emerald

or flashing ruby

opals

♦

perhaps an angel

come to wage war

on the dragon

or what menace

what powers of evil

a holy warrior

♣

Israel's sar

a guardian of the innocent

a defender of justice

whose scales you hold in your hands

eliciting

repentance

righteousness

mercy

sanctification

in their secular guise

confession

Sabbathiel

Beshter

Mik'al

now commonly Michæl

so many names

for such an ancient presence

irony or predestiny

your namesake

the patron of your chosen profession

excuse me

are you…

a policeman

he recalls our meeting

in detail

not as drunk as I thought

now

then

thud, thud, thud

my sex-life as empty as ever

standing in an alien kitchen

a friend of a friend

who was invited

too abashed

to approach any of these strangers

the would-be movers and shakers

of Granada television production

smiling from embarrassment

at all and sundry

a lipstick lesbian duo

take me under their wing

chatting away

insignificant minutiæ

banality repels isolation

I didn't see him

enter

a rather tall

dark

handsome chappy

it transpired

a policeman

novel chat-up line

"puffa-jackets are passé now,

aren't they?"

cringing as

speaking

if only

but somehow

despite ineptitude

we

connect

he gave me his number

…then blurted

he has a partner

with whom he is in love

♥

drop by drop

with the effects of alcohol

he became a little irritable

by degrees

he began to display

a sadistic streak to his nature

♠

decision-time

continue to pursue

on the off-chance of

a fella to fellate

or to discreetly back off

cowardice or valour

my best interests

leave him be

later that night

after having bopped away

I sat down for a rest

on one of a pair

of unoccupied chairs

shutting my eyelids

- suddenly

a hand gripped my thigh

firmly

tenderly

opening my eyes

to see him

kneeling

on the floor

beside me

in a maudlin state

I pressed him

I did implore

sit in the empty chair

next to me

the other party-goers

were in the main

hetero

such extravagant behaviour

attracting

unsolicited attentions

once

a decorous amount of time

had elapsed

I got up

went into

another room

✒

just before

we were about to depart the party

suddenly re-appearing

he hugged me

tightly 

tenderly

 then dashed

through the front-door

of the apartment

knocked two blokes

at the top of the stairwell

stumbled down the stairs

staggered at the bottom

and then

ran off down the street

needless to say

though I very much wanted to

and even worked out scripts for

his answering

his partner answering

an answer-machine

answering

I did not telephone him

thud, thud, thud

in Paradise

primal rhythms

extricate

dance

worship to hedonism's

natural endorphin fate

glimpsed again

he regarding me

and the partner looking on

rather irate

and then gone

as the image of the archangel

in the burning bush

but you remain

a prince of light

in my dreary

mundane life

you remembered me

so

I must have made

an impression

your smile

your glances

tell me

♡

remembrance

tantamount to love

but isn't that

a necessary part

of training

a police-officer

to recollect

remember

me

I turn to dance again

listen to the music

thud, thud, thud

*

Today is my blog's fifth birthday. I am not up to writing my usual analysis of the blog's stats, etc. Hopefully, readers will be content with an old poem I wrote in the 90s prior to my disablement. I do not take readers for granted; so thank you all for visiting and reading. %)