Scotland's Forgotten War Poet

[An t-Ileach]

I came across this poem in one of the folders on my hard disc, so I thought I'd upload it with a picture of Joe Lee and a link to the Scotsman article that talks about him. He was once as well known as Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen, and deserves to be again if we can make the effort.


German Prisoners,

When first I saw you in the curious street
Like some platoon of soldier ghosts in grey,
My mad impulse was all to smite and slay,
To spit upon you -- tread you 'neath my feet.
But when I saw how each sad soul did greet
My gaze with no sign of defiant frown,
How from tired eyes looked spirits broken down,
How each face showed the pale flag of defeat,
And doubt, despair, and disillusionment,
And how were grievous wounds on many a head,
And on your garb red-faced was other red;
And how you stooped as men whose strength was spent,
I knew that we had suffered each as other,
And could have grasped your hand and cried, "My brother!"

Joseph Lee, Sergeant, 4BW, Ypres 1916

[macwilkin]

Thanks, Dave, for a most interesting article. I will have to send that to some fellow students of the First World War, including my advisor in university; I'm sure he will want to incorporate that into his unit about WWI soldier poetry.

Lest we forget,

Todd

[jfellrath]

Poetry like this is wonderful for reminding us that, no matter where the combatants are from, all soldiers share a brotherhood. I've heard more stories from my friends who've served overseas about their meeting up with current soldiers and veterans of foreign armies and the immediate camaraderie that exists.

A great example is my friend Dan, who was serving with the 1st Infantry in Germany, and how he and some friends met an older man at a bar one night, and he was telling them stories about his time in the SS as an Armor officer. He said that even though it was about an army that was fighting his own, the stories of the common soldier were universal.