Lawrence Frankpitt Fearby

Lawrence Frankpitt Fearby Poems

Lawrence Frankpitt Fearby Biography

Lawrence was born on June 23rd 1918, the son of Lawrence Fearby (b.1888) and Minnie (nee Frankpitt) (b.1888) . When Lawrence Frankpitt Fearby was 1 year, his paternal grandfather, a railway worker became Mayor of Castle Morpeth. Lawrence was a voracious reader and musician. He was especially keen on classical music and had been acquainted with Sir Thomas Beecham. Another major interest was Poetry and he was a great fan of Robert Burns especially. Lawrence Frankpitt Fearby married Ruth Eugenie Dryden (3 years his junior) on 16th August 1941 at St. Peter’s Church in Huddersfield. The couple had 5 sons between 1941 and 1954, the first of which became my grandfather. Using photographs in the war scrapbook of Lawrence and the dates given at the foot of his poems, I have been able to construct a timeline of his wartime career: 16-07-1942: Cairo (Signal Corps,8th Army) 7-10-1942: Cairo Hospital 23-10-1942: Mount of Olives 24-10-1942: Old Jerusalem 24-10-1942: Bethlehem 08-12-1942: Alexandria 20-12-1942: Port Said 02-01-1943: Nicosia (Cyprus) (Signals: 8th Hussars) 06-02-1943: Augusta (Cyprus) (Signals: 8th Hussars) 20-02-1943: Larnaca (Cyprus) (8th Hussars) 01-06-1943: Kyrenia (Cyprus) 01-09-1943: Nazareth 27-11-1943: Damascus 14-12-1943: Baalbeck (Lebanon) (Signal Corps,3rd Regt RA) 29-06-1944: Assisi 02-01-1945: Florence / Turin (3rd Medium Regt) 23-05-1945: Weiringen (Netherlands) (RHQ 3rd Medium Regt) 10-06-1945: Den Oever (Netherlands) 07-07-1945: Oldenburg (Germany) Lawrence survived WWII and thankfully returned home with an amazing photograph album and many new books, the most impressive of which is a dictionary bound in Egyptian camel hair. Lawrence died in 1998 and his widow outlived him, dying in 2010. Visit sites.google.com/site/fearbypoems for more information)

The Best Poem Of Lawrence Frankpitt Fearby

The Great Unknown

Opinions of the ultimate

Of death th'eternal second state

Are varied as the colours fair

In rainbows and just so much air!



Some say of earth's delights drink deep

For death precedes eternal sleep

Will Omar Khayyam hold the view,

‘Tis immaterial what we do?



Can man who laid in wooden frame

‘Neath stoney slab that bears his name

Reap benefits from worldly gain

Know aught of earthly bliss or pain?



I've heard it said we but adjourn

That deaths prelude a further turn

This finite shell they thus decree

Mere passing residence for me



The Christian says but serve the Lord

And spent in death beneath the sword

The unknown part we call the soul

Will reach at last the promised goal



However, as they don't quite know

As no-one ever shall below

The many think they'll have a care

Perhaps there is a place up there?



Oh! you who would behold the trial

That lies beyond this earthly pale

Let conscience tell you what's fear

‘Tis writ' upon it wondrous clear



May those who hold to virtue's path

For fear of hellish aftermath

Or hope of tenfold retribution

Find in death just distribution



Oh! poor mankind your main concern

Is o'er with things you shall not learn

These scholard men of pious thought

Fill hopeful minds with beauteous naught.

The secret seek it where you can

If best you serve your fellow man

You'll find that paradise you chose

On earth beneath your very nose!


LAWRENCE FRANKPITT FEARBY

1942

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