Remembrance: When a spoken word artist and a soldier talked about war

Soldiers have often used poetry to explain their experiences in war, most famously during World War One.

Newsbeat introduced a spoken word artist to an Afghan veteran who recently saw combat and asked them to create a new poem for Remembrance Day.

"Coming from a peaceful nation like this, everything you see in combat is quite... strange," says BA about his time fighting for Britain in Afghanistan.

Listening beside him on a sofa in the officers' mess is 20-year-old spoken word artist Tommy Sissons.

Watch Tommy read it on Newsbeat's YouTube channel., external

Tommy has turned BA's memories of the conflict into a new poem for Remembrance Day.

"An IED blast for instance," says BA, referring to the homemade bombs the Taliban used to kill so many UK service personnel.

"Everything's going normal, everything's going as planned... then a bomb goes off. And people are injured, and even if no one's injured it's just the havoc.

"It really makes you realise that we have it good [in the UK] and it makes you appreciate the little things."

BA is a member of the Household Cavalry - the troops who ride on horseback and act as a ceremonial bodyguard for the Queen.

During times of war they trade their horses for armoured vehicles and take on the dangerous task of reconnaissance - trying to find out what the enemy is up to without being noticed.

While fighting in Afghanistan, BA and his comrades risked their lives to protect one another during Taliban attacks.

"It's for that reason I'd say some of the boys I served with would be more of a family to me than some of my real family."

Tommy asks BA about his family, how he came to join the army and what he thinks of the UK's role in the Afghan conflict.

"That's not my place to say. That's for politicians and those high up. I'm a soldier. I'm trained to fight. That's what I do."

Tommy's been carefully noting down everything BA tells him. He stops writing, and asks BA about bravery.

BA tells the story of a friend, Simon, who won a medal for carrying on attacking the Taliban despite being badly wounded.

A bullet cut through his neck. If it had entered a tiny bit deeper it would have killed him. BA remembers telling his friend that it was ok, they could handle the enemy without him, and that he should sit down and have his wound treated.

"At one point we just had to say: 'Right, Simon, stop it. Just chill out.'"

Simon's now recovered, but the bullet wound left a scar, which BA reckons it has its benefits.

"He's every girl's dream. He's got this scar on his neck and we're like: 'Simon, you know what? You look cool with that.'"

BA and Tommy talk about what it's like to be in combat and the mental scars that some soldiers suffer.

"If you get through it, it definitely makes you a better man," says BA. "Because I can say for a fact that I'm a different man to what I used to be."

Tommy closes his notebook.

"I just want to say that's properly inspirational, mate. And thank you for talking to me. We're all very grateful what the Army are doing for the country."

By Tommy Sissons

I met Lance Corporal BA (abbreviated nickname),

Adorned head to toe in coveralls

Topped off with service dress hat

And a poppy sticking out.

He has seen war as if it was on the end of his nose,

He knows too well the Reconnaissance Force,

The army, he told me, is not for the faint hearted.

"Tommy," he said, "my dream has always been that of a soldier.

And I can honestly say this career turns boys into men

And men into better men

And in each regiment you will find heroes."

So I met BA in the barracks,

Amongst paintings of decorated military figures

Which inspire pride in the young soldiers

During their stint at home

Before they return to Afghanistan.

But what about Afghanistan?

"The locals," BA tells me, "are lovely people.

And a stark contrast to what is thought in the UK,

They go about their days as normal civilians.

But they have been raised in conflict whereas we have to train,

Being there you realise how our societies are so far apart,

I don't know", he says, "if British people realise how lucky they are."

Then an explosion,

An explosion at random

And the injured are rushed to evacuation,

Tiger Teams are brought forth, enemies are slayed,

Weaknesses become strengths, guns and militia,

Travel by foot or helicopter, dropped into a Taliban base,

Where you will fight your way out with fingers on triggers,

Guns and militia,

Combat is … strange.

"And do not ask me my opinion of the war in Afghanistan,

That's the Prime Minister's say,

Is it not?"

BA tells me the army brings out the best and the worst in people,

"I'm a different man now than I was before,

The boys are like my family and when you're at war

You see yourself risking your life for their cause,

It's surreal but it's real and what strikes home more

Soldiers have died in their millions doing the same job a hundred years before."

Soldiers like Simon, one inch from death

When he was shot with a projectile to the throat,

We tried to evacuate him but he had his hand on his wound and kept talking on his radio,

He lived but he has the scar to show,

We all reckon he looks proper cool with it back home.

Home,

Home is where the barracks are,

Where you may watch the car park parade of the Horseguards,

Red coats, golden helmets atop steeds

Named Adamas, Achilles and Mercury,

In the last century not much has changed,

On the frontline vehicles replace horses

But other than that war is pretty much the same,

We still battle on blood as our forefathers would

Each for our individual country's name,

And BA looked at me, he looked at me and said

"We need to know Britain's behind us,

If we give up, we have lost lives in vain,

We are still here a hundred years later."

And I agreed with him that war is strange.

Tommy Sissons is just one of the spoken word artists who's worked with Radio 1Xtra during its Words First season.

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