Wwi Centenary Poem by bryan wallace

One hundred years ago -
Mistrust and suspicion between nations -
Our respective governments decided -
They all had to be tough - stand up and fight -
To make a stand - nobody insulted us -
Our national pride - had to be defended -
At all costs. The politicians went to war -
By sittting behind desks while fast bullets flew.

Lord Kitchener pointed from billboards -
'Your King and Country needs you! ' he barked.
A neatly pressed uniform and trimmed moustache -
He was a man you could trust - a veteran -
Of wars against spear-throwing tribes.
But I suppose they needed educated -
In this superior English way of life.

The young man - the lion - knee deep -
In a Paschendale quagmire.
He was stood up - like lines of tin cans on a wall -
Just to be knocked down.
Glory be, to die for King and Country.
General Haig - the donkey -
Sitting safe and sound behind battle lines - called
'Oh poor chap, now give me a few thousand more -
And we may gain a few dozen yards of Belgian mud.'

Millions -
Of working class young men -
British, French, Russian, Austrian, Italian, German,
American, Belgian, Hungarian - too many nations to list -
Sentenced to death -
By shelling each other.

Yet I doubt they really hated each other.
In their respective countries -
They shared the same dreams - the same plight.
The treadmill of their daily grind - to save a few shillings -
To pay for a few of life's simple treats.
Torn from the prime of life -
Misused and abused-
To defend their politicans honour.

One hundred years on -
What have we learned?