Betty Lewis Eyes

Cherry

By Turlough

Fri, 03 Sep 2021
  • 1808 reads
12 comments
 

A teapot on a tray she brings.

Digestive in each saucer.

Horrific tales of war to tell

But only if she’s forced to.

 

She’s angelic, prim and ninety

And no one’s ever heard her

Speak a single word of malice,

But in her eyes there’s murder.

 

She’s always lived in Odd Down,

Feeding kids and darning socks,

But in August 1940

She worked in Plymouth docks.

 

To be a nurse, or cook, or clerk

She never could succumb.

The tool of dear old Betty’s trade

Was an anti-aircraft gun.

 

Cat gently pushed from comfy chair,

She pours the tea and sighs.

Her face lights up as she recalls

Blasting Fokkers from the skies.

 

Years have flown so quickly by.

Her kids have grown and fled.

Now little to do but make the tea

And recount the German dead.

 

Bombers came across the sea

To kill and terrorise.

Shot down by a deadly war machine

With Betty Lewis eyes.

 

A few words of explanation.

I wrote this poem in October 2005 while I was working as a mobile chiropodist in Somerset and Wiltshire. Betty Lewis, an elderly client of mine, was a dear little old lady who told me that she had always lived in the Odd Down district of Bath and, before starting a family, had worked as an assistant in a ladies’ clothes shop in the city. However, for a few years during World War Two she had had a special job with the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) helping to defend Plymouth docks. At that time her life had changed enormously and, during the time that I knew her, her voice and facial expressions changed enormously too whenever she spoke of this exciting period from her past. She told me that usually she was reluctant to discuss the things that she had seen back then as they still filled her mind with terrible images. She said that she was ‘proud and not proud’ of the things she had done.

Certificate PG
Poem
Poetry in Commotion
Drama
Miscellaneous

Comments

Submitted by Turlough on

 

Turlough

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

What a fascinating tale Turlough! Could you just confirm that photo is copyright free?

 

Submitted by Turlough on

Thank you very much for your comment.

I can confirm that there are no issues with the copyright of the photograph. On any website or social media I only ever post photographs that I have taken myself. In this case the gun (which may or may not be an anti-aircraft gun as I'm no expert) is located near to the war memorial in the little town of Lyaskovets, about 10 kms from where I live.

Your question prompts me to think that you might be a site administrator, in which case I have something to ask of you. Although I have been a member of ABCtales for a week, I still get emails telling me that my comments must be vetted as I haven't yet been a member for a full 24 hours. Also I am unable to 'like' other members' work or mark their comments as 'great feedback'. Two days ago I sent an email using the site's standard template but I haven't had a reply. Although I am enjoying being a member, I find these teething troubles a bit frustrating so I wonder if it might be possible for you to have a word with someone about it. Please and thank you.

smiley

Turlough

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

Thanks for confirming the image rights - not everyone knows how careful we have to be as an organisation which doesn't have the money for fines, so we do have to ask. I'm so sorry you had a problem with sending an email. Could you pease email claudine@abctales.com with the details and we will try to fix things for you.

Also apologies for your inability to have full user privileges just yet. Comment approval will continue for a while to come, so I am afraid you'll just have to be patient. I hope it doesn't distrub your enjoyment of our site too much. We're very much enjoying your conrtibutions and hope you'll stay smiley

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Interesting. I've heard before of the interest of visiting elderly people as a mobile chiropodist. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Turlough on

Thank you Rhiannon. You are right. The elderly people that I have known have been absolutely lovely (mostly) and a wealth of fascinating tales. I was really excited about retiring five years ago but saying goodbye to them was heartbreaking. 

Turlough

Turlough

Submitted by airyfairy on

Fascinating story. I am sure you must have heard lots of intriguing stories during the course of that job. That generation had some amazing tales of what they did in extraordinary times.

Submitted by Turlough on

Thank you very much for your comment.

From my experiences with them, I will always respect the generations older than me. They lived through so much and have minds the richer for it. I feel that they have enriched my own mind too, making me determined to write more about them. What really saddens me is the neglect that they suffer.

Turlough

Turlough

Submitted by airyfairy on

Hi Turlough - I hope you don't mind, but I've used the theme of this as inspiration for this week's Inspiration Point, with appropriate credit of course!  For some reason I can't fathom, I can't post the link to the IP here, but if you go on the Home page and follow the IP link on the right hand side, that should take you there. And, of course, please do write another piece on the theme if you like! 

Submitted by Turlough on

“I hope you don't mind“ ... ha ha! I am absolutely delighted to be acknowledged in this way.

And I know exactly what I will write about for my contribution to the week's inspiration  point.

Good on you!

Turlough

Turlough

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi Turlough,

we never really know the circumstances of someones life, you can never judge a book by its covers, but you've given the reader a poingnant account of Betty Lewis and managed to condense it down perfectly into this understanding poem.

Very well written and it must have been a pleasure to have met her, she certainly left her mark on you.

Thank you for sharing.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by Turlough on

Thank you Jenny and apologies for the time it has taken me to reply.

Betty was indeed a lovely lady to spend time with though not brilliant at keeping her appointments so I didn't spend as much time with her as my work diary might have suggested at the time. Sadly she's no longer with us but I have a head full of memories of her and many other people like her. I wish I had the time to sit down and write about them all.

I hope you are well.

Turlough

Turlough