TO MORGAN, MY UNCLE , THE SOLDIER


TO PEN THESE LINES SEEMS FUTILE NOW
FOR YOU CAN NEVER KNOW
THAT SOMEONE WHOM YOU'VE NEVER SEEN
NOW FEELS HE LOVES YOU  SO.
			       
YOU GAVE SO MUCH FOR THOSE UNKNOWN-
 HOW EASY WE FORGET
 THE SACRIFICE, THE PAIN YOU BORE.
 YOU GAVE YOUR ALL, AND YET

 IT WASN'T 'TILL I SAW YOUR NAME
 LISTED WITH THE LOST
 THAT I FELT, AT LAST, I KNEW YOU,
 AND SENSED THE TERRIBLE COST
				
THAT WAR HAD WROUGHT
IN TAKING YOU, SO YOUNG.
NOT TWENTY YEARS AND YET YOU FELL
TO AN UNKNOWN SOLDIER'S GUN.

 AND ALL THAT NOW REMINDS OF YOU
 IS YOUR NAME CARVED ON SOME STONE.
 NO PLACE WE CAN IDENTIFY
 AS YOURS AND YOURS ALONE.

 FOR SOMEONE TO HAVE GIVEN SO
 IT SEEMS BUT ONLY FAIR
 THAT THERE SHOULD BE A SPACE FOR YOU
  AND ME TO VISIT THERE.

BUT YOU REST IN AN UNMARKED GRAVE.
A PLACE WE'LL NEVER KNOW;
BESIDE YOUR COMRADES, UNKNOWN TOO,
IN FIELDS WHERE POPPIES GROW.

YOU LEFT NO WIFE OR CHILD BEHIND,
YOU WERE NOT GIVEN TIME
TO BE THE MAN YOU PLANNED TO BE,
OR BE A FRIEND OF MINE.

A BRAVE YOUNG MAN, MY UNCLE,
YOU DIED TO KEEP ME FREE.
NO GREATER LOVE HATH MAN THAN THIS.
YOU DIED FOR LIBERTY.

BUT THE LIBERTY YOU BOUGHT WAS MINE.
YOU LIE IN DEATH SOMEWHERE.
WHILE I AM FREE TO LIVE MY LIFE,
A GIFT YOU CANNOT SHARE.

DID YOU THINK THE WAR WAS WON THAT DAY,
OR THAT YOU FOUGHT IN VAIN?
DID YOUR LIFE MAKE THE DIFFERENCE-
FOR US THE VICTORY GAIN?

IF THAT WERE SO WE'D CAUSE FOR JOY-
THE SACRIFICE WELL SPENT.
BUT VICT'R'Y'S NOT BY ONE ALONE,
BUT BY A REGIMENT.

I CONTEMPLATE THE MISSIVE
THAT TORE YOUR LIFE THAT DAY.
WAS IT MEANT FOR ANOTHER,
AND YOU STEPPED IN THE WAY?

WHAT TWIST OF FATE PUT YOU IN LINE
TO FEEL THAT DEADLY BLOW?
WHAT MADE THAT DAY A TIME FOR WAR?
WHAT MADE SOME MAN YOUR FOE?

IT SEEMS SO CRUEL THAT YOU SHOULD DIE
THAT OTHERS MAY BE FREE.
TO PAY THE PRICE FOR OTHERS' PEACE-
A PEACE YOU'LL NEVER SEE.

WE TRY TO JUSTIFY THE GRIEF,
TO SAY 'TWAS NOT IN VAIN.
BUT IT WAS NEVER IN THE PLAN
THAT MAN BY MAN BE SLAIN.

THERE WAS NO NEED TO GIVE YOUR LIFE
HAD GOD AND REASON RULED.
AND THUS YOUR LIFE WAS YOUNG MISSPENT,
BY MAN, AGAIN, WAS FOOL

FOR ONE WITH POWER DECLARES, "A WAR!"
AND MEN GO OFF TO FIGHT.
THEY GIVE THEIR LIVES THEY KNOW NOT FOR
AND SUPPOSE THAT THEY ARE RIGHT.

BUT MEN WHO LOVE AND MEN WHO CARE
MUST HALT THE EVIL FOE,
AND FIGHT FOR LAND AND LIBERTY,
AND FOR THE GOOD THEY KNOW.

SO MORGAN, YOU DIED NOT IN VAIN.
THE FOEMAN MUST BE STOPPED.
AND IF NOT YOU, THEN WHO SHOULD GO
AND TAKE HIS FIERCE ASSAULT?

IF ONLY MAN WOULD SOMEHOW LERN
THAT WAR BRINGS ONLY PAIN;
AND WHAT WE WIN BY SOMEONE'S BLOOD
WILL SOON BE LOST AGAIN.


THEN WAR WOULD SOON BE OVER-
AND FRIENDS WE NEVER KNEW
WOULD LIVE AND LAUGH AND LOVE WITH US,
NOT ENEMIES PURSUE.

WE'D SHARE THIS EARTH, THE GOOD AND BAD,
AND HELP OUR BROTHERS ALL.
THERE'D BE NO WARS OR BATTLEFIELDS
WHERE MEN LIKE YOU WOULD FALL.

I MISS YOU, UNCLE MORGAN,
THOUGH WE HAVE NEVER MET.
YOUR DEATH WAS TRULY LOSS FOR ME,
AND NE'ER WILL I FORGET.

NOW, WHEN I LOOK AROUND ME
I'LL SEE WHAT YOU HAVE WON-
FOR WHAT I HAVE AND WHAT I SHARE
YOU GAVE TO ME - WELL DONE!

I CANNOT TRULY THANK YOU,
EXCEPT TO LIVE A WAY
THAT SHOWS I VALUE WHAT YOU LEFT, 
AND LIVE YOUR LIFE EACH DAY.

FOR IF A DOUBLE MEASURE
OF BLESSINGS NOW ARE MINE,
SOMEHOW I FEEL THEY'RE SHARED WITH YOU,
AND ARE NOT ONLY MINE.

SO GOOD NIGHT, MY UNCLE MORGAN.
I'M GLAD WE MET AT LAST.
GOOD NIGHT, MY UNCLE MORGAN.
Thank you, uncle morgan.

				jack gallop                 Aug 1990


A tribute to my Uncle Morgan Gallop, killed in action at Neuve-Eglise, France, April 13, 1918.
He was just nineteen years old. 



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