BASTION BOYS

Happy Tuesday everyone.

I’m pleased to showcase something different this week, a brief look-back in time when the scenes of war dominated the media.

The size of Reading, Camp Bastion is the largest army camp built since the 2nd world War. At the peak of the conflict in Afghanistan, it was home to 30,000 troops.

You may recall the requests for goodie bags to be sent to our men and women fighting the Taliban – to give them a lift in such awful conditions.

My wife and I were happy to send a parcel and inside, I included my poem.

Published for the first time, here it is.

BASTION BOYS

We saw a message about the boys away.

How long to go, how long to stay?

With the dust and the heat,

and the boot-sore feet.

Of the longing to be home again.

We saw the need of a comfort or two.

From a reading book to a sweet to chew.

And thought of the need,

of the warrior creed.

And the longing to be home again.

So here we send to the boys away.

Some small comforts for their day.

On that foreign sand,

In that hellish land.

Of the longing to be home again.

So we pray to god and wish you well.

In that place you know, that living hell.

With knees unbowed,

It makes us proud.

With the longing to be home again.

I’d love to receive your comments and your personal memories of the Afghanistan conflict.

And if you could share my post, I’d be very grateful.

Love and Laughter

Rick

www.amazon.co.uk/OUTCAST-Rick-Haynes/dp/1093832541