I will never forget the drone
As a thousand planes
Came to bomb my home
The sirens screamed
And gas rattles cracked
It was daylight yet
The sky turned black

Like mosquitoes coming
From a swamp
Or swarming bees
With deadly stings
A thousand planes
Came winging in.

In 1940
My whole world changed
A thousand planes ~ imagine that
Reaching right across the sky
On September 7th I do not lie
That fateful day so many died
The hissing whistle
of descending bombs
The splitting roar
And our house was gone

The fire and smoke
Oh! my God ~ In heavens name !
Then the barking of the ack-ack guns
The wardens whistle
And then a shout ~
"They’re coming back!"
Then like before
We stumble through
The shelter door

Another stick of German bombs
Came screeching down
upon our heads
It seems they think
We’re not all dead
Yes, my memories as a little child
Sends my heartbeat ~ racing wild
Sitting in a concrete shed
A gas-mask clamped upon my head
Mum would say
"Go to sleep ~
its not morning yet~
and cuddle my sister
And tell her not to fret
"Tomorrow will be another day
Soon the Germans will go away"

(Their Black September)

Sixty years on
Half a century gone
But people still don’t know
What’s Right from Wrong
It is New York now
Not a London street
Where ash and embers
are ankle deep

And all around
People gasp and weep
It is New York’s sky
That is black with smoke
It’s their turn to learn
That war’s no joke

But their black September
Is not the same as mine
They have been attacked
But there is no country
to fight back
Just ruthless men
That have no fear
Who hide themselves
Till the coast is clear

Full of jealousy, driven by hate
For reasons that Americans
Can hardly appreciate
The attacking radicals
Stand up for other creeds
Misguided in their dreadful deeds

They front desperate groups
with unvalued lives
They see no sign of help
and there’s little hope
they make weapons
with their suicide
What is the point to be alive

Whilst the western world
eats cake and bathes
with scented soap ~
And America seems
to care the least
As they consume too much
and get obese

In the name of Allah
God or Lord
We must work together
And put down the sword
War comes from angry
Pitiful hungry people
And it will not change ~
till all are equal.

© Albert Gazeley
2003