1. Entry from Jacqui Collier
A Valentine’s poetry competition for lovers of history
Wilfred, 1893-1918 or How I spent years sobbing over a dead poet
Falling in love with unsuitable men?
A hazard for teenagers, both now and back then
At fourteen, I fell for an army man’s eyes
Was heartbroken to read of his untimely demise
Killed in Action, in France, like so many others
He won the MC for leading his brothers
But, like news of his death, this reached home too late
‘Posthumous citation’, recognised by the state
“For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty” it read
Not a great consolation to hear, when he’s dead
Twenty-five is no age, in war or in peacetime
But he left us a legacy, in full or in half rhyme*
Dulce et Decorum Est, it is sweet and fitting to die
Futility and Exposure, Mental Cases – but I,
I fell for Maundy Thursday, the saddest of lines
Where he explains how the silver cross shines
In the server’s hands; to men it’s the symbol
Of faith; to the children a bright doll
The women mourn Christ – but Wilfred will say
That he kisses the boy – oh my, he was gay!
Never mind the age gap – what’s a mere 80 years?
If I could time-travel, I’d still be in tears
Because it isn’t just death that keeps passion unripe
It’s the fact that I’m so definitely not his type
Unsuitable men, like I said at the start
They’ll write beautiful poems, and break your young heart.
Jacqui Collier
*Writing these couplets in half-rhyme would be cool
But it’s surprisingly hard for me; so I curl
My toes up in chagrin at this awfully cruel
Failure at mimicking my hero’s style.
We were delighted to receive so many entries to this competition. We asked for a Valentine’s Day Poem with rhyming couplets written for any figure from history.
Please CLICK HERE to read all the poems and then CLICK HERE to vote.
The winner will be announced on St Valentine’s Day and will received a framed copy of their poem.
 | A guest post by
|
To clarify for those unfamiliar with the figure I'm addressing, he is Wilfred Owen, war poet, and this is 100% a true story.
I fell HARD for Wilfred Owen as a teenager (late 1980s). He is probably still my favourite 20th century poet, and I wrote quite a lot about him for my BA and MA, but the pre-GCSE years when I was totally in love with him are still there in my heart. Other teenaged girls around me were just as madly in love with George Michael, so I don't think falling for a [then-closeted] gay man is an unusual experience. Slightly less common for him to be a *long-dead* gay man, admittedly. But why let mortality get in the way of a teenage crush?
(I strongly recommend his poetry to everyone. I haven't done him justice here at all.)
A nice Valentine to his memory and to your memories of your crush. It's beautifully written.