Rifles Upturned At Alnwick…
(Alnwick’s war memorial, Northumberland…)
The infantryman, the sailor and the airman each rest their gently
Overlapped hands upon the upturned buttstocks of their rifles, honouring
The dead and the maimed, their heads bowed in solemnity upon a memorial erected
Upon the busy corner of Alnwick’s Denwick Lane…
The infantryman and the airman wear puttees around their lower legs, neatly
Wrapped, whilst the sailor wears gaiters, a means of ensuring
The prevention of debris from entering his boots and to keep the shins protected.
And upon the three faces are traces of warfare’s strain…
The infantryman, the sailor and the airman keep their bayonets hidden respectfully,
Their uniforms look pristine, yet the expressions are mindful of their warring.
The Doric stone column speaks of strength, despite the loss of life and the loved ones affected
By personal grief, of anger and of the unenviable horror and sufferance of emotional pain…
Pete Ray…
28th April 2026…
