Sunday 28 June 2015

Sunday WW1 Poet...







This month's theme 

is

The Female Poets of the First World War




Nina Macdonald



A War time Nursery Rhyme 



Sing a Song of Wartime





Sing a song of War-Time,
Soldiers marching by,
Crowds of people standing,
Waving them 'Good-bye'.
When the crowds are over,
Home we go to tea,
Bread and margarine to eat,
War economy!

If I ask for cake, or
Jam of any sort,
Nurse says, 'What! In War-time?
Archie, cert'nly not!'
Life's not very funny
Now, for little boys,
Haven't any money,
Can't buy any toys.

Mummie does the house-work,
Can't get any maid,
Gone to make munitions,
'Cause they're better paid,
Nurse is always busy,
Never time to play,
Sewing shirts for soldiers,
Nearly ev'ry day.

Ev'ry body's doing
Something for the War,
Girls are doing things
They've never done before,
Go as 'bus conductors,
Drive a car or van,
All the world is topsy-turvy
Since the War began.




I can find very little information about this female poet other than she wrote a book of poems for children , possibly in 1918.

This poem scans like Sing a Song of Sixpence.

Rather poignant. isn't it?


~***~

2 comments:

  1. Yes, it is poignant. I wouldn't mind finding a copy of that book for children, either. Once again Josie, thanks for finding this.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Susan - I think the book is re published "Wartime Nursery Rhymes by Nina Macdonald.

    ISBN : 9780712357364

    Let me know if you find it ...!

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for taking the time to comment - Jaffareadstoo appreciates your interest.