10/11/2025
Today I saw a flower
It reminded me of you
You stood there in the sunshine
With your petals in full bloom
But you were stood alone
There were no others of your kind
Standing there beside you
For they had been left behind
In fields that you used to share with them
Some time ago
When they became your family
And you helped each other grow
But there were stormy days ahead
Skies all dark and grey
Fields that were torched by lightning
Flooded by the rain
And though they tried to fight it
There were flowers by your side
That had to lay themselves down
So that others could survive
And I know you feel guilty
That you’re growing on without them
But they need you to keep going
So that you can talk about them
To keep their hearts alive,
To share their stories and their names
You know if you were in their place
That you would want the same
You’d want them to chase sunshine
To camp beneath the stars
To honour you by living
Whilst they kept you in their hearts
So try to stem your sadness
And those guilty tears you shed
For they live on within you
In your petals bright and red
Yes, today I saw a poppy
It reminded me of you
And every time I see it
I’ll be reminded of them too
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This was a request from a TikTok follower for a poem about a soldier’s guilt after returning from service. It is in the book What the Wild Replied.
Link to a spoken word reading in the comments.
