We stand united with shovels in hand, not rifles.
Brave men, we face a different enemy; a private war, fought on home soil.
We wish for freedom for all mankind, why is that so detested?
Is it wrong to respect life?
To take it, steal it from a parent, wife or child…
And so we smile.
We are free; while all around us the madness of war consuming,
Like a sickness taking
Humanity from ones’ soul.
Neve Heartwood
Inspired by a picture taken of Conscientious Objectors at Dartmoor prison on display at Heart of Conflict, our exhibition on Cornwall during World War One at the Royal Cornwall Museum, Truro. Neve attended a poetry workshop led by local author Jenny Alexander.
For more about Conscientious Objectors in Cornwall, click here.
