Our veteran's touching Remembrance Day poem honouring the sacrifice made by service personnel

This Remembrance Day, Sight Scotland Veterans is commemorating the service and sacrifice of all those that have defended our freedoms and protected our way of life.

Many of the veterans who are affected by visual impairment, who our sight loss charity supports, will be involved in the Remembrance Day commemoration events at our activity centres in Paisley and West Lothian.

Celebrating Remembrance Day with Poetry

To commemorate Remembrance Day, we would like to share two excellent poems written by Dave Phillips, who is a veteran with sight loss who we support.

Ever since the 'The Iliad' in the 8th century BC, poetry has been a way to celebrate those who put themselves forward for their country. Poetry is enjoyed by many of the veterans with sight loss who we support, as poetry does not need to be read on a page - it can be listened to. The pleasure of poetry comes from its rhythm, its themes and its messages. These can be enjoyed in the theatre of the mind, and don't require sight to visualise and imagine.

The writer of these poems, Dave Phillips, served in the RAF as an Aerospace Systems Operator from 1985 until 1991. 

Dave is now 57 years old and he is affected by an eye condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa. Dave says he loves to write poetry that gives the reader something to think about.

What is Retinitis Pigmentosa?

Retinitis pigmentosa is a group of rare eye diseases that affect the retina at the back of the eye. The retina is a group of light-sensitive nerve cells that receive and organise visual information, and send this information to the brain to process.

Dave receives support, advice and equipment from our Sight Scotland Veterans teams, helping him to be as independent as possible.

We hope you enjoy reading Dave's solemn poems.

Remembrance Day commemoration poetry by a veteran:

Mementoes

By Dave Phillips

As we’re reminded to remember
Stand in silence
Lay our wreath
Respectfully respect our dead
Whose bones now lie beneath

The mud and sand of foreign lands
Where flowers rise from dust
As we stand mutely in salute
As tradition says we must

Spare a thought for those of us
Who only paid half fare
The limbless, the blind
The battle-scarred minds
And don’t forget to care

For us without names etched in marble
We with our uniform pride
We’re still fighting each day
Wars that don’t go away
As we pay our respects by your side