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Poetry: August 31, 2011 Issue [#4583]

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Poetry


 This week: John McCrae
  Edited by: Stormy Lady Author IconMail Icon
                             More Newsletters By This Editor  Open in new Window.

Table of Contents

1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions

About This Newsletter

This is poetry from the minds and the hearts of poets on Writing.Com. The poems I am going to be exposing throughout this newsletter are ones that I have found to be, very visual, mood setting and uniquely done. Stormy Lady Author Icon


Word from our sponsor



Letter from the editor

Mine Host
by John McCrae

There stands a hostel by a travelled way;
Life is the road and Death the worthy host;
Each guest he greets, nor ever lacks to say,
"How have ye fared?" They answer him, the most,
"This lodging place is other than we sought;
We had intended farther, but the gloom
Came on apace, and found us ere we thought:
Yet will we lodge. Thou hast abundant room."

Within sit haggard men that speak no word,
No fire gleams their cheerful welcome shed;
No voice of fellowship or strife is heard
But silence of a multitude of dead.
"Naught can I offer ye," quoth Death, "but rest!"
And to his chamber leads each tired guest.

The Harvest Of The Sea
by John McCrae

The earth grows white with harvest; all day long
The sickles gleam, until the darkness weaves
Her web of silence o'er the thankful song
Of reapers bringing home the golden sheaves.

The wave tops whiten on the sea fields drear,
And men go forth at haggard dawn to reap;
But ever 'mid the gleaners' song we hear
The half-hushed sobbing of the hearts that weep.

John McCrae was born November 30, 1872 in Guelph, Ontario. He attended the Guelph Collegiate and Vocational Institute. After he finished his studies there he went onto the University of Toronto. There he studied for his Bachelors in Art and joined the militia, the Queen's Own Rifles. During this time McCrae published his first poems.

McCrae had to take a year off from college while he was serving but returned as soon as he could. McCrae moved up the ranks quickly and was appointed Captain and in charge of his own command all while still in school. He later studied medicine on a scholarship. He tutored to pay the rest of his tuition, two of the women he tutored became were among the first women physicians in Ontario.

During the Boer War McCrae served in the Canadian artillery, and upon his return in 1902, McCrae was appointed a professorship at the University of Vermont, he taught there until 1911. When World War I broke out, McCrae was once again called to serve as a field surgeon in the Canadian artillery. This put him in charge of the field hospital for the Second Battle of Ypres in 1915. McCrae's close friend Alex Helmer was killed during this battle and it is said his burial inspired McCrae's poem "In Flanders Fields," which was published later that year in Punch magazine.

While still in command of the Canadian hospital McCrae came down with phenomena he died On January 28, 1918. He was buried with full military honors in Wimereux Cemetery. "Bonfire," McCrae's horse, led the funeral procession.


In Flanders Field
by John McCrae

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.


Thank you all!
Stormy Lady Author Icon

A logo for Poetry Newsletter Editors
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Editor's Picks


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The winner of "Stormy's poetry newsletter & contestOpen in new Window. [ASR] is:

 WEDDING BELLS Open in new Window. (E)
Free verse form. Contest entry
#1798896 by Itchy Water~fictionandverse Author IconMail Icon




Forever
Harvesting their love
In a garden of vows
Wedding bells
Chime against the wind
Together they stand
Hand in hand
Golden leaves falling down
The momentous kiss
Oblivious to the winter frost



Honorable mention:
 First Frost Open in new Window. (E)
Newsletter August entry
#1799336 by Kalliope Author IconMail Icon



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These are the rules:

1) You must use the words I give in a poem or prose with no limits on length.

2) The words can be in any order and anywhere throughout the poem and can be any form of the word.

3) All entries must be posted in your portfolio and you must post the link in this forum, "Stormy's poetry newsletter & contestOpen in new Window. [ASR] by September 11, 2011.

4) The winner will get 3000 gift points and the poem will be displayed in this section of the newsletter the next time it is my turn to post (September 16, 2011)

The words are:


sand fishing campfire roaring sparkles music bank river


*Delight* Good luck to all *Delight*

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IN THE LAND OF THE LOST Open in new Window. (ASR)
Written for Monty's Traditional Poetry Contest
#1798784 by COUNTRYMOM-JUST REMEMBER ME Author IconMail Icon

 The Ballad of Aurora and Cisco Open in new Window. (E)
A Ballad (week 28) about my grand-daughter and her cat.
#1799801 by JACE Author IconMail Icon

 Threads of Thought Open in new Window. (E)
weaving threads of thought to create poetry in a lantern/lanturne poetic form
#1802088 by Kate - Writing & Reading Author IconMail Icon

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#1802217 by Not Available.

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#1802486 by Not Available.

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#1803391 by Not Available.

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