The Almondburian Poets

THE death of Sir Winston Churchill on 24th January 1965 was too big an event not to be recorded in the pages of The Almondburian. Its Spring issue carried this thoughtful tribute by sixth former Eric Roberts.

Winston Spencer Churchill was born in Blenheim Palace in 1874 and received his early education at Harrow School before joining the Army in 1893. In 1900 he was elected to Parliament as a Conservative MP. He was British prime minister from 19401945 and again from 1951-1955, and is best remembered for successfully leading Britain through World War Two. He was awarded a Nobel Prize in Literature in 1953.

Churchill received a state funeral and was interred in the graveyard of St Martin’s Church, Bladon, Oxfordshire.

The author of the poem, Eric James Roberts, attended King James’s Grammar School from 1958-65 and had a successful career in journalism.

He started life at the South Yorkshire Times and moved to the Yorkshire Post where he became deputy features editor.

Three Months After

The blood does not flow through his body, But this is no cause for despair. Yet the toil of those ancient pall-bearers, Whose tribute was just being there, And the tears from the high and the lowly As the great man was carried to rest

And the sweat on the brows of those eight grenadiers, Cannon sounding, were almost the last souvenirs

Of the great man and of all his ninety full years. His bequest

To a nation with perpetual groundless fears Was courage indomitable: come to our ears

His great words?

They buried him deep down in Bladon, But deep in our hearts is his soul

Of pure courage, deep wisdom and genius; But avails not his gift to the whole Of the free world? Do we really care?

The fight now must be only in peace

As we remember the damage that war must do To the men who follow such leaders through All the slaughter that was so imperative to Our release

From the tyrant whose guns could have still threatened you But for him; yet corroding they remind anew. Do we herds Forget?

The

Almondburian

E J Roberts, 6 Arts

, Spring term

1965