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Lest We Forget: An Anthology of Remembrance
In this poetry collection, Brian L. Porter will take you into the center of the action and make you feel as if you're really there.
One minute you'll find yourself in the cockpit of a bomber, limping home from a raid over enemy territory, and the next in a dogfight during the Battle of Britain. Author and screenwriter Brian L. Porter served with the RAF during the Cold War. Many of the works in this collection are based on the personal experiences of those who took part in the conflicts they depict; men and women who were pleased to relate those experiences to the author. You will experience the poignancy of his words, the simple message of Remembrance , the moving dignity of Polska , and the graphic horror of the concentration camps, as related in Holocaust .
“I am writing on behalf of all members of 617 squadron to thank you for your written tribute to “The Dambusters”. It is a wonderful piece, which for me captures the spirit and courage of the young men who played a part on that fateful raid”. Flight Lieutenant Richard Saunders, 617 Squadron RAF, speaking of “Apres Moi le Deluge”.
If you enjoy poetry or World War 2 stories, you will love this deeply personal, intelligent tribute to those who served in war.
One minute you'll find yourself in the cockpit of a bomber, limping home from a raid over enemy territory, and the next in a dogfight during the Battle of Britain. Author and screenwriter Brian L. Porter served with the RAF during the Cold War. Many of the works in this collection are based on the personal experiences of those who took part in the conflicts they depict; men and women who were pleased to relate those experiences to the author. You will experience the poignancy of his words, the simple message of Remembrance , the moving dignity of Polska , and the graphic horror of the concentration camps, as related in Holocaust .
“I am writing on behalf of all members of 617 squadron to thank you for your written tribute to “The Dambusters”. It is a wonderful piece, which for me captures the spirit and courage of the young men who played a part on that fateful raid”. Flight Lieutenant Richard Saunders, 617 Squadron RAF, speaking of “Apres Moi le Deluge”.
If you enjoy poetry or World War 2 stories, you will love this deeply personal, intelligent tribute to those who served in war.
76 pages, Paperback
First published June 30, 2014
6 people are currently reading
12 people want to read
About the author
Brian L. Porter
62 books71 followersFormerly a member of the Royal Air Force, Brian L Porter is an award-winning author, and a dedicated dog rescuer, with the distinction of having more than twenty Amazon #1 bestsellers to his name. He has written under three pseudonyms, with bestsellers coming under each of his writing guises. The majority of those have come under his Brian L Porter name with four coming under his Harry Porter and Juan Pablo Jalisco names.
Nowadays, he divides his time between writing his popular Mersey Murder Mystery series of books, and his immensely successful true-life Family of Rescue Dogs series, all featuring the dogs that form part of his own family, and all having been Amazon #1 bestsellers.
Nowadays, he divides his time between writing his popular Mersey Murder Mystery series of books, and his immensely successful true-life Family of Rescue Dogs series, all featuring the dogs that form part of his own family, and all having been Amazon #1 bestsellers.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 5, 2019
This is a great collection of poems to honor the heroes who lived and died through wars. The author captures the tragedy, the hope and the feeling in several examples of poetry. I found this collection touching and a great way to remember the times of horror the world lives through when a decision to go to war happens.
September 23, 2014
Lest We Forget by Brian L. Porter is a heartfelt paean to the Greatest Generation and their contributions to the endurance of truth, liberty and justice during World War II. It is as much of a study in valor and bravery and combat as it is an exercise in poetic skill by the author, who demonstrates different styles of poetry throughout the collection. Poetry lovers will appreciate Porter’s use of alliteration and common measure in most of the ballads, his rhymed stanzas giving these odes and elegies a majesty worthy of the subject matter. It makes this compilation as much of a prize to poetry lovers as those who meditate on the sacrifices of the past that have guaranteed our future.
There are numerous tributes to our Allies in the War in Europe, as seen in “Images of War” and “Danger UXB”, with a goodly amount dedicated to those who fought and died in the skies above the battlefields. “Cavalry of the Skies”, “Of Men and Cats” and “Almost Home” captures the spirit of those who flew into the great unknown, many who would never return. There are poems dedicated to those who fought in other wars, from Korea (“Who Remembers”) to Kosovo (“A Summer Day in Kosovo”). Almost every war in the modern era is touched upon, and in doing so it will touch your heart.
Pick up a copy of Lest We Forget by Brian L. Porter. Chances are you’ll find one to copy and send to a loved one on a day or remembrance to come.
There are numerous tributes to our Allies in the War in Europe, as seen in “Images of War” and “Danger UXB”, with a goodly amount dedicated to those who fought and died in the skies above the battlefields. “Cavalry of the Skies”, “Of Men and Cats” and “Almost Home” captures the spirit of those who flew into the great unknown, many who would never return. There are poems dedicated to those who fought in other wars, from Korea (“Who Remembers”) to Kosovo (“A Summer Day in Kosovo”). Almost every war in the modern era is touched upon, and in doing so it will touch your heart.
Pick up a copy of Lest We Forget by Brian L. Porter. Chances are you’ll find one to copy and send to a loved one on a day or remembrance to come.
November 10, 2016
War poetry for the history afficionado told from a British point of view -- my favorite poems in this collection are Postcard from Stalingrad and Letter to a Loved One, both of which bring into the pale light of afteryears a woman's perspective. I know there were many brave women who joined each conflict, and were conscripted during WWII as WRNs and WAAF and so on in England, but they are not included in this gritty collection of war stories. I especially noted the inclusion of German young soldiers and airmen, who, like the Allieds, had no choice but to fight and perhaps die for their country's call. As someone whose father served in WW II and returned to Canada with PTSD or "shell shock" as it was called back then, I can appreciate the realism of the bloody mess that war is, and Porter has not tried to sugarcoat nor glorify war. It's a unique collection of snapshots of war that presents the reality and comradeship, necessity and ultimate futility of the battle. For American readers, the Vietnam War was a uniquely American conflict and not represented in this collection. The Royal Navy and RAF are heavily represented and bomb demolition experts, as well as, interestingly, one poem written from a Japanese point of view, a Kamikaze pilot who survived with lifelong guilt for surviving. The letters home are particularly well done, I thought. Something to remember on this evening of November 11, when some of us wear poppies and many still mourn for loved ones or comrades lost in yet another senseless war, as Porter points out, fought by young men and women and orchestrated like chess pieces by old generals. Some real gems in this collection -- which rhymes!
November 8, 2019
I purchased this book a few months ago & decided to keep it for the week running up to Remembrance Sunday. I’m so glad that I did! Beautifully written, this tribute to the lost lives of both wars seemed so fitting to peruse in November. Porter captures the very essence of the horrific conditions, heartbreak & comradeship within his poetry, leaving no subject unturned as he writes about conditions during the Blitz & inside concentration camps. I confess to having quite a few tears rolling down my cheeks by the last page & feel honoured to have read such a wonderful homage to our war heroes.
January 16, 2023
😥
Such heart wrenching poetry. I've never been a lover if poetry but these poems hit hard and we're written so well.
Such heart wrenching poetry. I've never been a lover if poetry but these poems hit hard and we're written so well.
February 25, 2016
It has been said many times that there is no glory in war. War is not about glory, it is about advantage. It is about advantage gained by killing more of the enemy than the enemy has killed of yours. But it is mostly about people. Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, those who fought and lived and those who fought and died. It isn't just about the soldiers, seamen and airmen though, it is also about the husbands left behind, the wives left behind, the mothers, sisters, brothers, cousins, Aunts, Uncles, all the relatives, all the friends of those who went off to fight and maybe to die. It is about many other things as well. Some of those tales, some of those ideas, some of those wonderful moments of heroism, sacrifice, loss, all that goes with war, are contained in this anthology of poetry about WWI and WWII as it affected those in the UK primarily but in other countries as well.
I want to mention several of the poems. The first is Ghost Squadron. It recites the dream of a man watching a ghostly squadron of unreal planes fly across his mind in dreams. How striking the words. And then In the Aftermath of Battle you can imagine the scenes of carnage. Also there was Danger UXB (unexploded Bomb). It chronicled the danger lurking after every raid of the blitz in unexploded bombs. And finally I want to mention A Wartime Stroll. A line comes from that poem to my heart. "Tell our young folk . . . how their forefathers fought, how some never grew old." War is also about the young, many of who die way too young.
In my first wife's Grandmother's home there was a picture of an Army Airman from WWII. And there was the gold star and gold gilded around the frame of the picture. He went down somewhere between Africa and Italy in a B-25 bomber, never to be heard of again. He was forever young in her older heart. And forever gone with no way for her to ever be totally sure. The wages of war are death. The wages of war for so many are sadness. it was certainly true for her.
The title of the book, Lest We Forget, says it all. We must never forget. We cannot allow the Holocaust, another poem, and a horrific event, to occur again. We must be forever vigilant to recognize and be grateful to our living veterans, old now, but once warriors. How could I give anything less than five stars to this magnificent tribute to those who fought for us all.
I want to mention several of the poems. The first is Ghost Squadron. It recites the dream of a man watching a ghostly squadron of unreal planes fly across his mind in dreams. How striking the words. And then In the Aftermath of Battle you can imagine the scenes of carnage. Also there was Danger UXB (unexploded Bomb). It chronicled the danger lurking after every raid of the blitz in unexploded bombs. And finally I want to mention A Wartime Stroll. A line comes from that poem to my heart. "Tell our young folk . . . how their forefathers fought, how some never grew old." War is also about the young, many of who die way too young.
In my first wife's Grandmother's home there was a picture of an Army Airman from WWII. And there was the gold star and gold gilded around the frame of the picture. He went down somewhere between Africa and Italy in a B-25 bomber, never to be heard of again. He was forever young in her older heart. And forever gone with no way for her to ever be totally sure. The wages of war are death. The wages of war for so many are sadness. it was certainly true for her.
The title of the book, Lest We Forget, says it all. We must never forget. We cannot allow the Holocaust, another poem, and a horrific event, to occur again. We must be forever vigilant to recognize and be grateful to our living veterans, old now, but once warriors. How could I give anything less than five stars to this magnificent tribute to those who fought for us all.
September 27, 2014
Lest We Forget - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish
Remembrance
Remember the fallen, the honoured dead,
In silent prayer, with lowered head.
They gave of their all, they gave up their lives,
And remember as well all the war-widowed wives.
Fathers of children, all some mothers sons,
Taken form life by the bombs, and the guns.
No joyous salute, nor heroes return,
Just an empty chair somewhere, a story to learn.
Of young men who proudly went off to the wars,
Leaving families, friends, leaving England's shores.
Many dying with glory, though seeking no fame,
Now lying at rest, in a grave with no name.
This is just the beginning of one of the Anthology of Remembrance included within this book. All hit my heart but this one seemed to hit the most. With the world in the past, present and future, we will always have wars and there will always be lost lives, but how do we put the feelings created by these losses into words? Most of us can't, but Author Brian L. Porter can and has. Through his Bomber we find ourselves waiting, just like those do when waiting for the call to climb aboard the planes that will take them into battle with just prayers that they will return. No Headstone on a Sailor's Grave has us waiting for a rescue boat that never comes.
As I read each segment within this book it made me stop and really think about my own father who served in not one but three branches of the military and what he must have gone through and the fear that he must have felt. I think about my friends who fought in the Viet Nam war and how scared they had to have been. I think about those that are serving today with their fears. And then I think of my grandson who will serve in the near future, taking him miles away from home for the first time.
This book has made me not only stop and think but it has surfaced my appreciation of these men and women both young and old. For without them, we would have no real world and certainly no freedom. That is what this book has done for me.
Remembrance
Remember the fallen, the honoured dead,
In silent prayer, with lowered head.
They gave of their all, they gave up their lives,
And remember as well all the war-widowed wives.
Fathers of children, all some mothers sons,
Taken form life by the bombs, and the guns.
No joyous salute, nor heroes return,
Just an empty chair somewhere, a story to learn.
Of young men who proudly went off to the wars,
Leaving families, friends, leaving England's shores.
Many dying with glory, though seeking no fame,
Now lying at rest, in a grave with no name.
This is just the beginning of one of the Anthology of Remembrance included within this book. All hit my heart but this one seemed to hit the most. With the world in the past, present and future, we will always have wars and there will always be lost lives, but how do we put the feelings created by these losses into words? Most of us can't, but Author Brian L. Porter can and has. Through his Bomber we find ourselves waiting, just like those do when waiting for the call to climb aboard the planes that will take them into battle with just prayers that they will return. No Headstone on a Sailor's Grave has us waiting for a rescue boat that never comes.
As I read each segment within this book it made me stop and really think about my own father who served in not one but three branches of the military and what he must have gone through and the fear that he must have felt. I think about my friends who fought in the Viet Nam war and how scared they had to have been. I think about those that are serving today with their fears. And then I think of my grandson who will serve in the near future, taking him miles away from home for the first time.
This book has made me not only stop and think but it has surfaced my appreciation of these men and women both young and old. For without them, we would have no real world and certainly no freedom. That is what this book has done for me.
October 24, 2014
Poetry reminds us that is doesn't take 50,000 words to tell a story.Lest We Forget
Within the poems sketched by Mr. Porter, we delve into the world of wars past, the trials our fathers and grandfathers lived through in the earlier part of the 20th century. With practiced diligence, Porter depicts the excitement and the emaciation of war, the pride in fighting, and the pain in dying.
My own father and my husband's grandfather both served in the US Navy in WWII. I have listened to stories about the pranks, what life was like, and how it felt to watch someone die, whether by enemy fire or because that person simply couldn't go on being a part of the atrocities. Lest We Forget does an excellent job of capturing many such stories in the brief but descriptive form of poetry. While many of the poems follow the same form of the four-line stanza and abba or abab rhyme scheme, each poem defines itself by subject matter or word selection.
Many of the poems are dedicated to specific events , squadrons, or individuals related to various wartime campaigns, including the World Wars and Korea.
Within the poems sketched by Mr. Porter, we delve into the world of wars past, the trials our fathers and grandfathers lived through in the earlier part of the 20th century. With practiced diligence, Porter depicts the excitement and the emaciation of war, the pride in fighting, and the pain in dying.
My own father and my husband's grandfather both served in the US Navy in WWII. I have listened to stories about the pranks, what life was like, and how it felt to watch someone die, whether by enemy fire or because that person simply couldn't go on being a part of the atrocities. Lest We Forget does an excellent job of capturing many such stories in the brief but descriptive form of poetry. While many of the poems follow the same form of the four-line stanza and abba or abab rhyme scheme, each poem defines itself by subject matter or word selection.
Many of the poems are dedicated to specific events , squadrons, or individuals related to various wartime campaigns, including the World Wars and Korea.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews