Kalanyot - "THE POPPY WITH THE BLACK HEART"
KALANYOT - THE POPPY WITH THE BLACK HEART
With Remembrance Day approaching all money raised from the sale of the book “Kalanyot – Letters from Palestine” will be donated to the Royal British Legion.
Remembrance Poem
Author, Alan Mead (second from left), on leave in Alexandria, celebrating his 20th birthday in 1946, with his friends.
Phil Swales, on the far left next to Alan, was killed one year later in a shooting incident.
He was due for demob along with the rest of them a few months later.
Alan paid his respects at his funeral in Haifa and wrote the poem.
The poem ‘PHIL’ remembers him and deals with what the folks back home go through when a soldier dies on active service. We need to remember the families, as well as those that gave their lives
PHIL
They wept in Doncaster
Not for the comrade that we knew,
Not for the soldier brave and true.
They wept in Doncaster!
Cried for the lad that brought such joy,
Sobbed for that lisping Yorkshire boy.
Past is the summer sun warm time,
No fields to roam, no trees to climb.
Play toys, floor scattered, lie at rest,
Unused long years, remembered best
By those that wept in Doncaster.
We did not weep!
We shared too briefly manhood's sterner role,
Saw glimpses only of your boyish soul.
Three volleys mark our regimental loss
Sand buried deep below a wooden cross
Shrill in that bugle note, a prayer for her,
Who wept for you in Doncaster
Poppy Appeal
HENLEY ON THAMES
Saturday 25 Oct 2014
Alan will be at the poppy appeal outside Henley Town Hall alongside
SAM BROWN and her FABULOUS UKULELE CLUB
The poem 'Phil' is due to be read out between performances.
The book is will be avaialble to buy at £10 and all the money taken will be donated to the poppy appeal
Sam Brown is one of our greatest British female singers, and is a great supporter of the Poppy Appeal. She performs regularly at the Royal British Legion appeal in Henley town centre, with her Fabulous Ukulele Club, boosting fund raising. The photo above was from last year's appeal.
If you are near to Henley in Saturday 25 Oct 2014, please come along and support this great band and help raise more funds.
A great photos of author Alan Mead at the poppy appeal in 2013, wearing a pith helmet, alongside ukulele band member Liz Ellis, .Alan is a great admirer, and supporter, of Sam and her Ukulele clubs.
