Death And Destruction Poem by Joyce Hemsley

To live in the south of England
in nineteen forty-one
was terrifying and horrifying
the bombing left one numb.
I stood on the hill and saw it -
the aftermath of it all,
buildings flattened, fires raging
debris from wall to wall.
Thousands of civilians killed.
I think that says it all.
The days were dark and gloomy
the nights were long and cold;
death and destruction lingered
and the story must be told.
I was one of the lucky people
I survived those years you see
yet in my heart I've a longing
to see once again my family.
However bad life seems today
it could never ever compare
to the suffering on the homefront
in the Battle fought from the air.

Joyce Hemsley