11/11/2025
A Sonnet For Us All
When you speak of our country, do not speak of war.
Speak of the nurse who held a hand like her own father’s,
A lieutenant who embraced a soldier like his own brother.
Remember, sometimes those who go into burning buildings burn brighter than the fire inside.
Those who rise from burning buildings carry scars we cannot see.
If you speak of this country, speak of the widow who never stopped waiting, the sailor
who kissed a photo till it turned to ash in his hands, or the pilots who meet in the pub to talk of anything but war.
You see love is a compass, love is a bugle mourning.
Love is sacrificing tomorrow so that a stranger can live today.
So when you speak of this country, do not think of it as a place.
Think of it as a feeling, the feeling of being loved, the duty to pass that love to whoever needs it.
A Sonnet For Us All was read out at the service of remembrance attended by The Princess of Wales today (11th November).
Written by the arboretum’s poet-in-residence Arji Manuelpillai, the piece reflects the importance of personal connections, experiences and bonds that are formed through military service.
