Meadows

[Catcherin]

I have tightened up the meter for this one as per TOMH suggestions. Better? For those wondering about the meaning, it is simply about a couple during the second world war. I thought meadows would be a good recurring theme as they are quite often associated with tranquillity, beauty and nature but can also be associated with open warfare and of course the poppies that represent the war dead. Incidentally that is the difference "the meadow" (same place) and "a meadow" here. The first stanza is about their pre war relationship, and the worsening international situation. In the second stanza they are watching the first of the airstrikes. The third stanza is informed by the second in that this is where he decides to join the war effort despite how much it will pain him to be apart from his partner. The fourth stanza is the final battle he's involved and I wanted it to stand out (hence the meter change). He is killed (in the meadow a poppy blooms), and through the fear, his final thoughts are with the woman he left behind. The final stanza ends at the beginning, she is in the same meadow thinking about him and wishing to go back to the time when they were together, but its impossible (represented by the bird song, the birds don't sing because the are has been ruined by war and he has died due to the same thing etc.)