Poem : With A Friend, by J.J.W.

[Aurel Sercu]

A question, also and especially on behalf of some friends at the Ypres In Flanders Fields Museum.

There is a poem on display, and quite often the question is asked by visitors if there is more information about the author, time, location, etc... Information that cannot be provided since no one seems to know !...

"With A Friend"

Look, God, I have never spoken to You,

But now I want so say "How do You do ?"

You see, God, they told me You didn't exist,

And, like a fool, I believed all this.

The whole poem is 6 stanzas of 4 verses, and concluding with 2 final verses :

Well, I have to go now, God, good-bye ...

Strange, since I met You, I'm not afraid to die.

In the verses in between the author (a soldier, right before "a horrible fight") realizes that he has found God, that he is glad to have met Him in the face of death, and fears that he may come to His house that night.

Signed : Pfc. J.J.W.

(I have no idea what Pfc. stands for.)

Anybody any idea who the author etc. is, or who knows more about this poem ?

I promised the In Flanders Fields Museum people that on this forum it would take less than a day to have the answer. Please, do not embarrass me !

Aurel

[ianw]

Pfc can mean Private First Class , I think and perhaps suggests the poem was penned by an American.

Whilst not commenting on the sincerity of the poem, Aurel, I would say that the poem seems of low literary merit verging on doggerel so that the author may not have gained a permanent place in the pantheon of Great War Poets.

Dare I say that it has a bit of a "Baldrick" quality to it.

Boom , Boom, Boom

Boom , Boom , Boom

Knowing my luck , I've just rubbished a major work of art with all the quality writing in the stanzas that were omitted !

[Simon_Fielding]

Check out:

http://members.aol.com/bear317b/lookgod.htm

http://momsplace.50megs.com/conversion.html

http://www.octm.com/dane/index8.htm

http://www.ecclesia.org/truth/soldier.html

There seems to be a real sense of confusion as to where this poem came from!!]

Simon

[Aurel Sercu]

Now I realize that I have given away a unique chance this morning at the IFF Doc. Centre ! When I told them it would take less than a day to have the answer, I should have said : half an hour or so, and risked a serious bet, e.g. a crate of Duvel !

Two replies, the first after 22 min., the second 31 min. !

Simon's answer is a surprise, and I think I can say : an unpleasant one ? Panic at the In Flanders Fields Museum ? As it seems to be a WW2 poem, and maybe even Vietnam ! What is the poem doing in a Great War museum ?!

Ian,

Its "low literary merit" ? And an author who has "not gained a permanent place in the pantheon of Great War (?) poets". Of course, I won't argue, because you may be right about the quality. But wasn't the low quality of "In Flanders fields the poppies blow" pointed out as well ? (Which does not mean that "With a friend" ranks with it !)

And when it is about war poetry, I think we all agree that approval can very easily shift from literary quality to sincerity and other criteria. In spite of (or thanks to ?) its simplicity and naïvety I think I like it.

Aurel

[ianw]

I take your point Aurel, but I think the very elegant simplicity of the McCrae poem makes it a powerful peice but I still think a bit of poetic talent can "turbo charge " a poem and give it real subtle power - rather than just a deluge of sentimentality. That said sentimentality is a very powerful emotion in war.

Having read all of "With a Friend" , I like it even less. I'll stick with Owen , Coulson, Sassoon and Co. But, poetry is a very, very personal thing. Each to his own.

[Simon_Fielding]

It could be another case of the famous poem "Do not stand at my grave and weep" - not really great poetry but no doubt very effecting in context.

Similarly a poem with no real known author - just something that has grown over the years....

Simon