AS a man of 70 years old, I feel a little despondent that the world is in no better shape than it was 100 years ago.

The two world wars which were initiated, won or lost, whichever you subscribe to, have done little or nothing to quell that intent yearning of mankind to destroy, rape, pillage and annihilate everything for the sake of power.

Since those two major wars, so many other altercations have take place around the world, creating misery and mayhem for thousands of innocent people, and to what avail?

Your paper has done an admirable job of portraying some of the misery to the public during the commemoration of both of those incidents.

However, do you not think that the younger generation perhaps look at it in a slightly different light, without actually having the experience of being involved, or in some cases not even knowing anyone who has lived through a war?

Maybe it creates the opposite effect, euphoria, gung-ho, enthusiasm, a sense of adventure – just posing a question!

My grandfather served in the First World War, survived but came home a different man, so I was told by my grandmother.

My own father was killed during the Second World War.

I was three years old at the time. I served in the Army (National Service) in Cyprus during the 1950s.

I live alone now and to while away the time I write poetry about all sorts of subjects, but the world’s complicated structure at this moment in time appears to be the most damning of all, and it worsens by the day.

David Knight, Southampton