Amanuensis Monday - Grandma Hill's Poetry, Week 32

My Second War

I am only an aging grandmother

My heart torn with grief and pain

When I think of another grim war

Coming so close to my home again

After my great loss in the last war

I had learned to hide my sorrows

And think of my many grandsons

To cheer and comfort my tomorrows.

But again, grim war, in more dealy and terrible might,

Has called my grandsons to fight for freedom and right

No difference how great my dread, I won’t ask them

to delay the call.

For someone must fight to end this terrible curse,

this time for all.

All I can ask is, they may fight

With valor, a lasting peace to gain.

And if they fall, may God grant the right

That this time, ‘twill not have been in vain.

Note: Four of Grandma Hill's grandsons enlisted during World War II - they were:

Charles Victor Hill - Corporal in Army

Robert Leroy Kern - Sr. Chief Boatswain's Mate in Navy

Donald Edward Ormsby - Airman 1st Class in Army Air Corps

Charles Victor Ormsby - Private in Army

In addition, two of her granddaughters' husbands served:

Donald Earl Vail - Sergeant in Marines

William H. Watkins - 3rd Class Petty Officer in Coast Guard

Thus, all branches of service were represented, and all her "boys" came home safely this time.

Nancy Jane Wiley Hill (1875-1960) was always writing something.  Many of those poems are now in the possession of her granddaughter Shirley Kern.  Shirley, with the help of her sister-in-law Ruth Ormsby, transcribed these poems in 1996 for a Hill-Ormsby-Kern family reunion.  I am going to post many of these poems so that they may be enjoyed by all.

These are copyright 1996 and reprinted with permission.