Joe, The Soldier Poem by Jan Oskar Hansen

You have uniform, stripes and badges you are a hero at last.
No longer alone but in a group and you do as you’re told.
They tell you to fight for your country, but omit telling you
that the same country gave you nothing because you’re poor,
and now you are dying for it. Working class, when they send
your casket home your father is proud. Death on a battlefield
to preserve the haves way of life. Your parents get a medal
of lies to put on the mantel piece. When they see they have
been made fools of they have lost the will to protest.
If they voice their anger over your futile death they will not
be believed, their neighbours are stupid, and lack loyalty to
their own class and so it goes on.
The haves can fool you all the time...yes,
forever my friend....Unless you opt for insurrection.