The Soldier

I have enjoyed reading the many fine war poems over the past few weeks, some of which have brought tears to my eyes.

My Dad was in the Royal Navy, the Arctic Convoys and the Malta Convoy being just two of his ship’s tasks. This is my contribution, salute and tribute to all Service personnel who have served in any conflict at any time.

The Soldier

Billy Clark was seventeen
When he went off to war.
He kissed his Mum and Dad goodbye
And walked out through the door.
He kissed his girl at the station
And wiped away her tears.
He said that he’d be back again
If it took a thousand years.

He headed for the Trenches,
For Afghanistan.
Gallipoli, The Falklands,
Beirut and Vietnam.
He set off for Dunkirk,
Burma, Le Quesnoy.
Passchendaele would make
A man out of a boy.

A million Billy Clarks have gone away to war.
Old men sit and shake their heads.
They’ve passed this way before.

He was in the thick of it
Right from the very start.
But Billy was a brave boy
With a patriotic heart.
Billy fought his hardest
But he was in a fix.
These were guns and tanks he faced
Not childhood toys and sticks.

Now, Billy was no coward,
But he was scared as hell.
No boy should have to bury
His comrades where they fell.
It took a thousand years
For Billy to return
And still the burning question is:
When will we ever learn?

When will this crazy world unite
And watch each others’ back?
When Media screams the headline:
‘GREEN MEN FROM MARS ATTACK!!!!’

A million Billy Clarks have gone away to war.
Old men sit and shake their heads.
They’ve seen it all before.