and there among the clouds they hid
as a new dawn had begun.
The enemy started their dawn patrol
not knowing of this day of reckoning
that stood ahead of them
ten minutes after they rose into the sky.
Out of the sun,
they came like dragons breathing fire.
Diving like a hawk
on its prey below.
The sky was now filled
with angry birds with wooden wings.
They darted across the sky in fights
which some would never return.
Spiralling smoke herald,
another victory for someone
and for the other
life no more.
Their names are recorded
on monuments forever
depicting their victories
and their demise.
As the years pass on
how much do we remember
of these men who teased the air
with their wooden wings
as they flew across the sky.
18 August 2011
Author’s Note:
This was written as a dedication to all the brave aviators on both sides during the First World War when flying was still in its infancy.
D.V.H.