Skip to content

Rambling At The Bridge Head

Russian and Welsh poetry; reviews of theatre, films and other things

Recent Posts

  • St Augustine’s, Penarth by Gillian Clarke
  • ‘It’s February. Weeping take ink’ by Boris Pasternak
  • Плачущий Сад (Weeping Garden) by Boris Pasternak
  • Message by R.S. Thomas
  • Стрижи (Swifts) by Boris Pasternak

Categories

  • Bridgend
  • Christmas
  • Commentary
  • Drink
  • Food
  • halloween
  • horror
  • Japanese
  • Languages
  • Literature
  • Movie Review
  • Observations
  • Poetry
  • Polish
  • Review
  • Russia
  • Russian
  • satire
  • Theatre
  • Uncategorized
  • Vignette
  • Wales
  • Welsh

Tags

  • absurd
  • absurdism
  • acme
  • acmeism
  • acmeist
  • akhmatova
  • anna akhmatova
  • Anna Andreyevna
  • cccp
  • christian
  • Christianity
  • czarist russia
  • death
  • d m thomas
  • emigre
  • English
  • english translation
  • God
  • Gorenko
  • heart
  • humor
  • humour
  • imperial russia
  • information
  • leningrad
  • life
  • love
  • lyric
  • lyric poetry
  • lyric verse
  • night
  • nonsense
  • nonsense verse
  • pitr
  • poem
  • poet
  • Poetry
  • Polish
  • Review
  • rhyme
  • rhyming couplet
  • robert chandler
  • r s thomas
  • Russia
  • russian
  • Russian Futurism
  • Russian Futurist
  • russian poem
  • russian poet
  • russian poetry
  • russian revolution centenary
  • soviet
  • soviet poet
  • soviet union
  • St Petersburg
  • translation
  • tsarist russia
  • USSR
  • verse
  • vignette
  • wales
  • Welsh
  • welsh poem
  • welsh poet
  • welsh poetry
  • white emigre
  • wind
  • winter
  • А́нна Андре́евна
  • А́нна Андре́евна Ахма́това
  • Анна Ахматова
  • Ахматова
  • СССР
  • Сове́тский Сою́з
  • Сою́з Сове́тских Социалисти́ческих Респу́блик

Archives

  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014

Category Cloud

Bridgend Christmas Commentary Drink Food halloween horror Japanese Languages Literature Movie Review Observations Poetry Polish Review Russia Russian satire Theatre Uncategorized Vignette Wales Welsh

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 82 other followers

Follow Rambling At The Bridge Head on WordPress.com

Blogroll

  • Discover New Voices
  • Discuss
  • Get Inspired
  • Get Mobile
  • Get Polling
  • Get Support
  • Great Reads
  • Learn WordPress.com
  • Theme Showcase
  • WordPress.com News

Community

Top Posts & Pages

  • Nicholas Was... by Neil Gaiman
  • 4Move Active Magnesium + Vitamins drink
  • Friesian Bull by Gillian Clarke
  • Farewell, Dear Friend, Farewell by Sergey Yesenin
  • The Kingdom by R. S. Thomas
  • The Empty Church by R. S. Thomas
  • Norman Norton's Nostrils by Colin West
  • Old Women Falling Out by Daniil Kharms
  • Marks & Spencer Dutch Shortcake Biscuits
  • Питер FM (Piter FM/Peter FM): 2006 Russian Film: Commentary and Review

Recent Comments

The Dewy Lustrous Pe… on By The Fireplace by Afanasy…
The Dewy Lustrous Pe… on Шепот, робкое дыханье (Whisper…
Roncesvalles by Varl… on Роландов рог (Roland’s H…
Imitation From The A… on Imitation of the Armenian by A…
Imitation of the Arm… on Imitation From The Armenian by…

Top Rated

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries RSS
  • Comments RSS
  • WordPress.com
Advertisements

Tag: Reaper

Class of ’68 by Merryn Williams

Men were selected for the Vietnam war

by dates of birth. I watched a drama where

schoolboys sat round their own screens, waiting for

a voice to pick a date out of the air.

‘The twenty-sixth of June’. I felt a thrill

of horror, as the actors froze – that’s my

son’s birthday. Young men can refuse to kill;

much later on, they can’t refuse to die.

Now, the Reaper cuts a first swathe through

the ranks of men who did and didn’t fight;

no guessing if it’s him, or him, or you;

we’ll soon find out. It’s random, like the date.

The men, and smaller groups of women, go;

this is one war to which you can’t say no.

 

by Merryn Williams

Advertisements
Posted on October 11, 2018Categories Literature, Poetry, Wales, WelshTags 26 june, actors, actors froze, class of 68, cuts a first swathe, dates of birth, did and didn't fight, drama, first swathe, froze, horror, it's random like the date, it's ranom, June, june 26, like the date, men, men were selected, men were selected for the vietnam war, men were selected for the vietnam war by dates of birth, merryn williams, my son's birthday, no guessing, no guessing if it's him, or him, or you, out of the air, own screens, pick a date, pick a date out of the air, poem, poet, Poetry, random, ranks of men, Reaper, reaper cut a swathe through the ranks of men who did and didn't fight, reaper cuts a first swathe, refuse to kill, sat round, sat round their own screens, schoolboys, screens, smaller groups, smaller groups of women, son's birthday, soon find out, swathe, this is one war, this is one war to which you can't say no, thrill, thrill of horror, through the ranks of men, twenty sixth of june, vietnam, vietnam war, voice, waiting, waiting for a voice, waiting for a voice to pick a date out of the air, wales, war, war poem, war poetry, watched a drama, we'll soon find out, Welsh, welsh poem, welsh poet, welsh poetry, women, you can't say no, young men, young men can refuse, young men can refuse to killLeave a comment on Class of ’68 by Merryn Williams
Blog at WordPress.com.
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy