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On Friday Evening 18 August 1995 a Buffet/Social for ex~Far East Prisoners of War was held to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of V J Day. Prior to the event, a Mrs Patricia Howard had written some verse expressly for the occasion and enlisted my help to produce the following poem. As a tribute to all Fepows, it was my privilege to recite it at the function.
by Maurice Rooney, August 1995
PAIN OF THE PAST
Pain when there, is to grin and bear
And pills help to keep it at bay
But worse by far, is the lonely hour
When the hurt will not go away.
The mind skips along, holding thoughts, to prolong
The memories of days gone by
Of times that were bad, and some oh! so sad
And the easiest thing was to cry.
True stories are told, of men who were bold
During days of horror and strife
Choked with emotion, they gave such devotion
To those who were losing their life.
Some cannot comprehend, those minds hard to bend
And a spirit which just would not sever
The enemy they fooled, assets they pooled
They became very crafty and clever.
It was certainly no game and some died, such a shame
But we’re here to tribute their story
For those who survived, there was really no pride
And for them, not a moment of glory.
Though the pain of the past is likely to last
On this night we've answered a call
To raise our glasses and say, on this commemorative day
God Bless you comrades, one and all.
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