A Small Boys View Poem by ivor or ivor.e hogg

The air raid sirens wailing cry.
Search lights criss crossing in the sky
Searching for the enemy
That we can hear but cannot see.

When they are caught in the cross beams
They’re targeted by ack ack teams.
Who aim to score a hit or two.
I’m glad to say they often do.

The gunners know if they get through
the damage that their bombs will do
Fast fighter planes join in the fray
And show no mercy to their prey.

The bombers can’t evade the lights.
The gunners have them in their sights.
Streams of tracers mark the flight
of shells which hurtle through the night.

To bring the bombers down in flames.
Part of the nightly fun and games.
We watched instead of taking cover
We stayed until the raid was over.

Then went to bed quite happily.
Where we were supposed to be.
Sleeping peacefully in safety
Instead of sneaking up to see.

The gunners showing off their skill
Although we were forbidden to.
We disobeyed as children will.
The skylight gave a perfect view

We drew the curtain to one side.
And watched the battles in the sky.
But we were wise enough to hide
The evidence, we did not lie

I’m sure my father never knew.
That we got up to watch the show.
Every night brought something new.
During the war so long ago.

I can remember vividly.
The damage that the bombs had wrought.
When morning came and we could see.
The results of a battle fought.

By deadly foes high in the sky.
Too young to understand the war
We never thought to question why
Or what we were fighting for.

When I look back it seems unreal.
Almost as if it happened to.
somebody else. It makes me feel.
It could not possibly be true.