We, we had advance warning
Time to press the tuxedo, to chill the martini
Undress the olives, prepare; be ready
To celebrate our winning of the war
The balcony is art deco, as is the radio
And also the gramophone player
We talked, we kissed, we danced, we listened
Gaily to the momentous news from the front
For the fiftieth anniversary
We put the house on the market; we included
All of our belongings and the photographs
Lest we should forget to remember
The swimming pool had its own room
To change in, or to take a telephone call
Perhaps there had been a butler
Or a handyman, or a maid in a pinafore
You cope with all the ups and downs
Of this terrible war; endlessly you question
How could you help, how on earth
Could you make a contribution
And so to the night of the party
To lift everyone's spirits; perhaps you
Will read a poem in your soft thoughtful voice
Wilfred Owen perhaps, or one of his dead mates
