War, Ypres and society.
We all go away
We die one day
But not too young please
Not too young
On your terms
Is the preferable option
As best as you can
As best as you can
Not extinguished
On another's say
Sent there on the decisions of others
For betterment?
Lest men should faulter
Lose some fields
Spend more money
It's not sarcastic
Or slightly funny
When the funds for war
Would have us imagine
That culling is
The economical option
Not sitting round to discuss the hordes of soldiers
Trim the fat
From every nation
The rank and file are sure
A safer workstation
Would be better
With some weekend fun and recreation
War and thunder
Takes them away
The battle of Ypres
The first brigade
The London Scots and the Cameron men
The Black watch played
As comrades died
Laments respectful
Chests with pride
Fingers softly
Caress the chanter
The boys get by
By using banter
On every side
The sands are mud
The mists of time
The guardsmen lunge
National expansion?
Or society driven
Social distraction
Vile attraction
The bugle sounds at the end of the day
Fields of blood
Haigs poppies sway
Honour them
Every one
Those who lived
The others not fortunate
The scale of such carnage
Is so disproportionate
How history sticks
Ghosts standing proud
They should not have perished
Some not found
Beside their mithers
Is where they should have stayed
Should have remained
Built and played.
Out in industry earning payment
Not ducking and shaking
Scared afraid
Adrenalin valour
Fight or die
A final tear escapes his eye
Choices made by authorities
Gracious?
Outrage expressed by the rich and famous
They don't know what it could ever be like
Unless they've served nation's with pride
Wee Jimmy served
And Jimmy died.
Pens are dipped
In the tarnished corridors
Signing texts
To make them orders
Make wee Jimmy go off to ypres
Let wee Johnny see his friends set free
Watch as Tommy sinks beneath
Watch our Charlie now deceased
Ordered over
Whistles bled
Hollow shrill
The Earth is stained
The Earth is stained
Greed and dysfunction.
Self serving establishment?
Lords and their chums
Narrow minded beaurocrats?
Cleaned and loaded
Machine gun fire
Choking gases
Small stove fires
Conflicts made of the endeavours of men
To show another they will defend
While stirring tea in China cups
The squaddies trudge up to their limit
Why are the privileged not among it?
Hold the spoon
A biscuit colonel?
Or perhaps a brandy
Regiments sink
In fetid insanity
Rats and lice
The stench of people
Horses killed
Saddles absent
Harness Mark's
Near starvation
Both sides now
Scarred forever
Blood and tears formed a river
Evaporated
Flash bang thunder
Tommy's gone
Epitaphs message
This lowly lad
Was a credit
He took his place
On Belgian meadows
Close our eyes
Try to imagine
The harrowing horror
Some lads witnessed
Take the men who sent them over
Ideologically
Lies and spinning
In the great war nobody was winning
Give the 'elite' a helmet
Some socks and combat boots
Wee Johnny can stay at home
Watching his children grow to adulthood
Let the few kill one another
If the feelings running strongly enough
Save the generations
Working men
Who might still be sent to war
They should not feel responsible
For suicidal actions
They done what they were told
Or shot for desertion.
A tactical win
Specific action
The white cross
Stands
Silent and still
Beneath the grass
Johnny sleeps
Disquiet and storm clouds
Took him under
He passed he thinks
From heroic intention
King and honour
He was worthy
Indoctrinated into doing what's right
Johnny stood and Johnny fought
A candle flickers
In the window tonight.
AGL.
We die one day
But not too young please
Not too young
On your terms
Is the preferable option
As best as you can
As best as you can
Not extinguished
On another's say
Sent there on the decisions of others
For betterment?
Lest men should faulter
Lose some fields
Spend more money
It's not sarcastic
Or slightly funny
When the funds for war
Would have us imagine
That culling is
The economical option
Not sitting round to discuss the hordes of soldiers
Trim the fat
From every nation
The rank and file are sure
A safer workstation
Would be better
With some weekend fun and recreation
War and thunder
Takes them away
The battle of Ypres
The first brigade
The London Scots and the Cameron men
The Black watch played
As comrades died
Laments respectful
Chests with pride
Fingers softly
Caress the chanter
The boys get by
By using banter
On every side
The sands are mud
The mists of time
The guardsmen lunge
National expansion?
Or society driven
Social distraction
Vile attraction
The bugle sounds at the end of the day
Fields of blood
Haigs poppies sway
Honour them
Every one
Those who lived
The others not fortunate
The scale of such carnage
Is so disproportionate
How history sticks
Ghosts standing proud
They should not have perished
Some not found
Beside their mithers
Is where they should have stayed
Should have remained
Built and played.
Out in industry earning payment
Not ducking and shaking
Scared afraid
Adrenalin valour
Fight or die
A final tear escapes his eye
Choices made by authorities
Gracious?
Outrage expressed by the rich and famous
They don't know what it could ever be like
Unless they've served nation's with pride
Wee Jimmy served
And Jimmy died.
Pens are dipped
In the tarnished corridors
Signing texts
To make them orders
Make wee Jimmy go off to ypres
Let wee Johnny see his friends set free
Watch as Tommy sinks beneath
Watch our Charlie now deceased
Ordered over
Whistles bled
Hollow shrill
The Earth is stained
The Earth is stained
Greed and dysfunction.
Self serving establishment?
Lords and their chums
Narrow minded beaurocrats?
Cleaned and loaded
Machine gun fire
Choking gases
Small stove fires
Conflicts made of the endeavours of men
To show another they will defend
While stirring tea in China cups
The squaddies trudge up to their limit
Why are the privileged not among it?
Hold the spoon
A biscuit colonel?
Or perhaps a brandy
Regiments sink
In fetid insanity
Rats and lice
The stench of people
Horses killed
Saddles absent
Harness Mark's
Near starvation
Both sides now
Scarred forever
Blood and tears formed a river
Evaporated
Flash bang thunder
Tommy's gone
Epitaphs message
This lowly lad
Was a credit
He took his place
On Belgian meadows
Close our eyes
Try to imagine
The harrowing horror
Some lads witnessed
Take the men who sent them over
Ideologically
Lies and spinning
In the great war nobody was winning
Give the 'elite' a helmet
Some socks and combat boots
Wee Johnny can stay at home
Watching his children grow to adulthood
Let the few kill one another
If the feelings running strongly enough
Save the generations
Working men
Who might still be sent to war
They should not feel responsible
For suicidal actions
They done what they were told
Or shot for desertion.
A tactical win
Specific action
The white cross
Stands
Silent and still
Beneath the grass
Johnny sleeps
Disquiet and storm clouds
Took him under
He passed he thinks
From heroic intention
King and honour
He was worthy
Indoctrinated into doing what's right
Johnny stood and Johnny fought
A candle flickers
In the window tonight.
AGL.
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