This is my poem: The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner by Randall Jarrell
From my mother's sleep I fell into the State, And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze. Six miles from earth, loosed from the dream of life, I woke to black flak and the nightmare fighters. When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose.
This a little video for you guys: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNocWjBqA-8
An Irish Airman Foresees his Death by William Butler Yeats (1919)
I know that I shall meet my fate Somewhere among the clouds above; Those that I fight I do not hate, Those that I guard I do not love; My country is Kiltartan Cross, My countrymen Kiltartan's poor, No likely end could bring them loss Or leave them happier than before. Nor law, nor duty bade me fight, Nor public men, nor cheering crowds, A lonely impulse of delight Drove to this tumult in the clouds; I balanced all, brought all to mind, The years to come seemed waste of breath, A waste of breath the years behind In balance with this life, this death.
This is my poem:
ReplyDeleteThe Death of the Ball Turret Gunner
by Randall Jarrell
From my mother's sleep I fell into the State,
And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze.
Six miles from earth, loosed from the dream of life,
I woke to black flak and the nightmare fighters.
When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose.
This a little video for you guys:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNocWjBqA-8
An Irish Airman Foresees his Death
ReplyDeleteby William Butler Yeats (1919)
I know that I shall meet my fate
Somewhere among the clouds above;
Those that I fight I do not hate,
Those that I guard I do not love;
My country is Kiltartan Cross,
My countrymen Kiltartan's poor,
No likely end could bring them loss
Or leave them happier than before.
Nor law, nor duty bade me fight,
Nor public men, nor cheering crowds,
A lonely impulse of delight
Drove to this tumult in the clouds;
I balanced all, brought all to mind,
The years to come seemed waste of breath,
A waste of breath the years behind
In balance with this life, this death.
Here is a picture depicting the poem:
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.mediastorehouse.com/image/he_royal_aircraft_factory_re1_was_a_british_two-seat_biplane_reconnaissance_and_bomber_aircraft_of_the_first_world_war_intended_as_a_replacement_for_the_vulnerable_be2_the_re8_was_much_more_difficult_to_fly_and_was_regarded_with_great_1571721.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.mediastorehouse.com/he_royal_aircraft_factory_re1_was_a_british_two-seat_biplane_reconnaissance_and_bomber_aircraft_of_the_first_world_war_intended_as_a_replacement_for_the_vulnerable_be2_the_re8_was_much_more_difficult_to_fly_and_was_regarded_with_great/print/1571721.html&usg=__jcfhA-TSa2uvCE2GQUS-E_iVq2g=&h=450&w=309&sz=74&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=OHyL2zt49D194M:&tbnh=136&tbnw=93&ei=9hPHTcj_KpLrgQfMsKHMBA&prev=/search%3Fq%3DIrish%2Baircraft%2BGreat%2BWAR%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D1366%26bih%3D547%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=270&vpy=169&dur=891&hovh=271&hovw=186&tx=112&ty=151&page=1&ndsp=26&ved=1t:429,r:9,s:0
Here is also an adaptation I found of the poem in the movie Memphis Belle (1990):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_PvCToBCRc&feature=related