Many thanks to Jane, of Fluency for the below guest post, which first appeared on her blog and can be found by following the below link, (https://fluencyofwords.wordpress.com/2014/11/18/death-march/). The below poem is reproduced by kind permission of Jane and remains her property.

 

—

 

Onward, men, don’t linger for longer,

feel that pride rushing through you,

the unworn wind filling your lungs.

Don’t look over your shoulder no more,

I vouch no guns pointed at your head.

 

Don’t worry about the world,

about your dead friends and lives,

of your soul in the barracks.

Ain’t nothing you can do,

if you wake up in a nightmare.

 

Lads, don’t make trouble,

to hear a bomb explode is mad,

you hear?

Don’t go telling others what’s not,

or you’ll live in a damn facility.

 

Go on, soldier,

live the rest of your life

with family,

in peace.