Commemorated in a blaze of glory

Precision, patience and perseverance

Shooting geniuses, aces of the sky

Supreme experts in aerial combat

MCs, VCs, the lot.

So much youth

So much death

But what is worth a life?

In your short years,

You achieved more

Than any could,

In a whole lifetime.

But only to perish -

More risks taken each time.

Death stalking you

Like you were resigned to it

Life no longer worth hanging on to

The types to do or die, for sure.

Flying with rage, passion and fury

Haunted by premonitions of death,

Plagued by dreams of burning aircraft -

A service revolver kept close -

Rather than face a fiery death.

Of course, it caught you in the end.

Unable to alter the destiny

Of this damned war and its cursed tragedies

You both fell down to earth

One by one, no one to catch you,

Aces of the sky.

You served and are commemorated still

In our remembrance, in our freedom,

No more fear, fighting, darkness and death.

In memory of James McCudden MC VC, Edward Mannock MC VC and all the heroes.

Natasha Haidar © 2020