A deciding point was encountering Konrad Tom, who helped Konarski begin authoring poems and songs, as well as suggesting the "Ref-Ren" stage pseudonym.

After Lwów was taken over by the Red Army, Konarski performed as part of a traveling orchestra in numerous cities in the Soviet Union.

At the time of the battle, the mountain terrain of Monte Cassino was covered with red poppy flowers at the peak of their bloom.

Afterwards, the poppy flowers became a deeper red in color because they were nourished by the blood of Polish soldiers that died during the famous battle.

Years will pass and ages will roll, But traces of bygone days will stay, And the poppies on Monte Cassino Will be redder having quaffed Polish blood.

Together with his wife and other exiled Polish actors, the theater traveled around the world providing humor and sentimental songs to war scattered Poles.

He organized Polish cultural activities and had a radio show called Czerwone maki (Red Poppies) for over twenty years that was also broadcast in New York City.

He added a fourth verse to his Czerwone maki na Monte Cassino song in 1969, on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the battle.