Iris
Today, I read the most heartwarming article in The Guardian, that seemed to be begging me to write this poem. The article was about a batch of letters, that had retrieved from a shipwreck, that was sunk off the coast of Ireland by a German U-boat in 1941.
Among the 717 letters recovered from the SS Gairsoppa, were fragments of a 1941 love letter to a woman named Iris. Here’s what The Guardian had to say about it, followed by the poem that I felt inspired to write.
“Look after yourself my darling, not only for your own sake …….. for mine also,” wrote the unknown serviceman stationed in the Waziristan region, now part of Pakistan. “Imagine that I have my lips tight against yours with my arms around you tight … let us hope that this bloody war will soon be over.”
The Postal Museum’s senior paper conservator, Jackie Coppen, came across the letter to Iris, which she described as “a tender testament to love and longing”, written on “incredibly thin and fragile” paper.
“Like many of the letters, it has suffered, but despite missing areas, enough remains to appreciate the sentiments,” Coppen said. “It talks of hope and the future, it professes dreams of embracing tightly and being together again. Not only does it evoke a romantic past, when the handwritten word sent through the post was often the only means of sustaining long-distance relationships, but it is particularly pertinent in present times when many of us, longing to embrace our own loved ones, have also reverted to the written word as a means of reaching out.”
Iris
Look after yourself, my darling
Clasp these words, as you might hold me
For I am forever with you
Just as you are always with me
Pretend I’m laying there with you
Lips locked, and our kisses so deep
Know that I’m thinking about you
Watching over you, as you sleep
One day, this war will be over
Once more, I’ll be back at your side
Know that we’ll soon be together
And finally, you’ll be my bride
Don’t worry too much about me
For your love, it’s keeping me whole
Keep sending me your sweet kisses
They nurture my heart, mind and soul
And as I say goodnight, my love
Know that you’re always in my heart
I’ll soon be coming home to you
And the rest of our lives can start
Look after yourself, my darling
Clasp these words, as you might hold me
I ache to take you in my arms
For you are everything to me