Lochaber's Lily pens poetic tribute to animals in wartime

November is the month of remembrance, when we pause to reflect on all those who have given their lives in the service of their country.

The iconic symbol of remembrance is the bloodred poppy, which sprang up to carpet the battlefields of the Western Front after the Great War ended in 1918.

But becoming more and more commonplace during remembrance events is the sight of people also sporting a purple poppy, worn in tribute to the millions of animals that also served in wartime.

To mark their sacrifice, Lochaber High School S3 student Lily Bloom penned a very poignant poem in tribute and we are delighted to be able to publish it this week.

The Silent Warriors

Who remembers the horses

That dragged artillery through churned fields. And decimated copses?

Spooked by the burning skies

And blast of gunfire Once peaceful, quietly munching

The grass of homeland farms.

Who remembers the dogs That stood and watched the shells

Explode around them? Sent off to carry messages Deemed too dangerous for man

Deafened and blinded, covered in mud. And grime. Who remembers the birds The small, oblivious pigeons that

Spoke of pain and terror? One hundred thousand sent away

To fly high above the fight

And why did nobody care To see their bloody, feathered corpses fall?

Who remembers the silent warriors

Unknowing, conscripted soldiers?

Why did nobody listen When they told us they were in pain?

And nobody cared

For their lonely souls, Lost in the battlefield Where love and hope die.

Photograph: Courtesy of The Royal Parks; The Animals in War Memorial at Hyde Park in London was unveiled in 2004 on the 90th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War and commemorates animals that died in wars and conflicts, and, above left, Lily Bloom with her poem.