Springtime has gone unforsaken <br />Winter’s snowflake fills the glen; <br />My days are sea- waves a-breakin, <br />Now Europe’s at war again. <br />I ken Son, yer patriot manner <br />There’s nae white feather for you <br />Boldly you held Freedom’s banner <br />In valour and honour sae true. <br /> <br />Will ye come when the red leaves are fallin’ <br />When blossom is melting like foam? <br />E’er ye come when the whaps are a-callin, <br />I’ll be here tae welcome ye home. <br /> <br />I watch o’er the hills tae Lochryan <br />Whar gowans courtsey in Spring; <br />I hear o brave battles an dyin’ <br />And fear what news they might bring. <br />I don’t want pipes o’er you playing <br />Or war-drums tae tell me yer dead; <br />Each day that passes I’m praying <br />Yer brave heart is not cold and bled. <br /> <br />It wasna the whites cliffs o Dover <br />It wasna for love o the crown <br />Twas for our dear hills an clover <br />Ye were ready tae lay yer life down. <br />In Gibraltar ye served wi the RAF <br />A lad, a’ but barely nineteen <br />Wi the Spitfire’s dog-fighting staff <br />In a tin-can bullet machine! <br /> <br />O a telegram told us yer story <br />Oor hope an’ sky turned sae black; <br />It read “Missing in Action for glory” <br />Dear Jim, are ye ne’er comin back? <br /> <br />O springtime brought celebrations <br />Great crowds filled every street <br />“Churchill” was the toast o the nation <br />Ah son, all I could do was greet. <br />They sang “It’s a long way to” somewhere <br />They sang for the heroes come hame <br />They sang till my heart felt right sair <br />They sang a’ for glory and fame.....<br /><br />Patrick Scott Hogg<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/when-the-red-leaves-are-falling-for-relative-james-hogg-killed-in-gibraltar-during-the-2nd-world-war-missing-in-action/
