About FLOW

FLOW (Forces Literary Organisation Worldwide) is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) whose registered number is SC050666.

FLOW aims to help and support anyone affected by war and other traumatic experiences in their lives and to help them share their thoughts online with like-minded people.

Many people find asking for help difficult, do not wish to be identified, or their personal pride prevents them from sharing their feelings with their family, friends or work colleagues. We, therefore, accept your writing with your real name, a pseudonym, or as anonymous if you prefer not to use your real name. You can always change that at a later date.

Anyone affected by trauma (serving military personnel, veterans, their friends and family or anyone who simply wants to express themselves) is invited to share their feelings and thoughts in a safe and non-judgmental environment. It doesn’t need to be your trauma. You can write about whatever you want that may impact your mental health or those you love and care for.

People are welcome to share their poems, stories, letters and lyrics and read other people’s contributions and comment on them. It can be comforting to engage with like-minded people, knowing that you are not alone in your feelings. Writers have the option to remain anonymous.

All the publications found on FLOW and its associated websites belong entirely to the authors. The authors we show as owning the writing are taken from the names we are given, and we accept these as honest and correct. We take no responsibility for incorrect credit of any work. If you know of a piece of work which does not belong to the stated author, please email us, and we will investigate further.

FLOW reserves the right to publish any writing submitted by anyone in its books and other publications. Full credit will be given to the named writer.

All the proceeds from our grants, books and other fundraising activities go directly into FLOW to help pay for our long-term goals, minimal running costs, and eventually wages of staff as we grow larger.

FLOW’s Poems, Stories, Letters and Lyrics

 

Submitted poems, stories, letters and lyrics will undergo a moderation process, and after approval, they will be published on the site. We ask that you understand some members of the community may be young, so please understand that some literature may be censored prior to publishing. We do still advise viewer caution due to the nature of the topics discussed.

HOMELESS AND HELPLESS

HOMELESS and HELPLESS The streets are cold, the pavements bare, That’s what it’s like when home’s nowhere, Life turns on a sixpence, I’ve heard them say, World turned upside down in just one day. I have my story, you have yours, It never rains but it always pours,...

Poetry
Sep 25, 2023

IN MEMORIAM – 11th NOVEMBER

IN MEMORIAM - 11th NOVEMBER There are war memorials all over this land, Silent and cold wherever they stand, As silent as those who paid with their life, Left their loved ones, family or wife, As cold as they ground in which they lay, Probably in some soil so far...

Poetry
Sep 25, 2023

DAWN

DAWN - By Will Roe 21st September 2023 The airman stood at the edge of the airfield watching the dawn light slowly reveal the huge grass area that was the runway. He shivered suddenly as the cool air got through both his tunic and the overall that he wore and...

Stories
Sep 25, 2023

THE FALLEN

THE FALLEN The order came, it was to do or die, Soldiers offered a prayer to the sky, To do their duty that fateful day, Cross the battlefield where enemy lay. A hail of bullets, a crash of shell, No-mans land was a living hell, Noise and smell attacked their...

Poetry
Sep 25, 2023

Blood Red Poppies

BLOOD RED POPPIES Poppies, poppies, as far as can be seen, Growing by the wayside or in a foreign field, Blood red and growing in masses wild, Where many a soldiers fate was sealed. Small and fragile like someone’s life, Growing together in a haze of red, In many a...

Poetry
Sep 25, 2023
0

passchendaele 1917

The land is killing me the soil weights a ton I had to carry all my kit helmet and gun. The land is killing me the mud and stones of passchendale are heavy and keep me on the ground. I cry out for my mother please listen to my cries the tears are so heavy as the...

Poetry
Sep 16, 2023
0

Knife Crime Poem Two

As each day and night goes by you can hear the sound of a familys cry another young person has lost their life at the hands of somone carrying a knife. A moment of madness the snap of a mind why cant young people be loving and kind the grief and sadness will never...

Poetry
Sep 16, 2023
0

Knife Crime Poem One

Another day another night one more stabing after a fight Family and friends fighting the tears what can they do to save other familes fears. One more young persons life has been lost it is such a waste of a life and a terrible cost grief and sadness all around you...

Poetry
Sep 16, 2023
0

Living With Cancer

This is for anyone going through this with family or friends. My life with cancer is still my life it brings withit all the trouble and strife Most of the time I am in pain but this is my life time and time again. My life with cancer it is not so good somtimes it...

Poetry
Sep 16, 2023

IN MEMORIUM – 11th NOVEMBER

There are war memorials all over this land,Silent and cold wherever they stand,As silent as those who paid with their life,Left their loved ones, family or wife,As cold as they ground in which they lay,Probably in some soil so far away.Some were called and some...

Poetry
Sep 12, 2023

Our Patron

Dame Vera Lynn CH DBE OStJ

Dame Vera Lynn CH DBE OStJ kindly became our patron in 2008, until she passed away on the 18th of June 2020 at her home in East Sussex at the age of 103. The Royal Family led tributes to Dame Vera, with Queen Elizabeth II sending private condolences to her family and Clarence House issuing tributes from the then Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall.

We will always be immensely proud to have had Dame Vera write the foreword of our first book, published in October 2008, and be our patron for so many years.

We will cherish the years that Dame Vera was our patron. A lady whose example of kindness, care and empathy for our troops has been strikingly evident for so many years. We can do no better than to quote her most recent comment supporting our work.

“I have been following FLOW’s excellent work for some time now and have always been impressed by the way that they provide for people who have been affected by war.

As a musician, I understand the huge power of art – it can heal wounds, bring people together, and preserves memories for generations to come.

By offering a chance for people to express themselves through poetry and stories, FLOW offers the comfort of community and communication, and this should always be celebrated.

I would like to offer my thanks to everyone who supports this worthy cause and I wish FLOW all the best as it attempts to reach even more people around the world.”

We are privileged to have had such a wonderful person as our Patron, and we offer our deepest thanks for all the support we have been thrilled to receive by Dame Vera, Virginia her daughter, and Susan her PA.

Raising Funds

We hope that FLOW will be able to raise sufficient funds to publish its books of Poems, Stories, Letters and Lyrics every year, celebrating the work of those who kindly share their writing with us.

FLOW also presently runs on the generous time provided by its volunteer staff, but to grow, we know we must gain sufficient funding to employ full-time paid staff to carry out the work we must do.

As FLOW is a registered charity, all contributions and proceeds from fundraising efforts will go directly back into the organisation so we can continue supporting those who need it.
Contributions can be made through our website, or alternatively, you can contact us to hold a fundraiser of your own. Please contact us by clicking here.

%

of people exposed to mass violence have been shown to develop PTSD

Million Adults are diagnosed with PTSD during a given year

Women are 2x more likely to suffer from PTSD than men