My Last Letter

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My last letter

It came from the East

Smiling

All slender and ash grey 

Wearing a white wedding veil

As it came my way 

In the year of 1941

With the cold rise of the early morning sun

On the 20th of May  

When the German airborn arrived 

To join the Battle of Crete 

She came slowly walking up

Down that murky street

In the smoky ash and mud 

Barefoot

In faded Somerset white

With bag pipes playing 

Grey eyes and broken red tipped finger nails

With a scent of death 

And grave

The beast takes many forms

He took all my friends that day

Bill

Terry

Paul and 

Big Norm

That smiling wedding bride took their hands

When 

They got shot and died

I saw it all 

In the smoke 

And cried

For second sight 

Have I

And when she called to take Big Norm

As I watched her shimmering form

She whispered

She you in 2024

On May the 30th

Look for me 

Listen for the bagpipes 

I come at dawn

Then she took Big Norm's hand

And they both walked away

Crying 

Followed the music of bagpipes playing Going Home

And cries 

Amongst the bullets flying

Of the dying

I prayed as I stood

Alone

At the end of that day

And now it's 2024

And the dawn of May on the 30th

Soon she comes

For the faint noise 

Of bagpipes playing

Are making this rattling noise in my lungs

But I'm not scared

Bill

Terry

Paul and

Big Norm 

Are all waiting for me there

For I'm 

Going home

 For I'm 

Going home

(C)

Copyright John Duffy