"Soldiers are citizens of death's grey land, drawing no dividend from time's tomorrows."
Siegfried Sassoon

Circumstances compel speech,
Ye gods and little fishes, 
From the first day of the world
Down to the horror in our own time
Peace is forever out of reach.

Don’t frown, don’t shake your head,
Listen to this elegy for the dead
A soldier-poet silenced, banned, expelled
Misery and bravery meld.

The sheep are forgot, the cattle, bees unkept.
Be thrifty with feelings, words we accept
Can cultivate the goodness of mankind
Lovingkindness with love aligned.

Fauns and Dryads sing with unfettered
Fertility in sun or snow or drear November weather.
We left our native towns and easy afternoons,
And went to war. Why? Lions led by buffoons. 

Spat upon by those who chose civilian life,
A job, comfort, money, pension, wife.
Gods and goddesses preserve us
From these pacific wretches...

She who calls for help and succour
Relies upon the soldier trim.
Do not speak of love and losses
Sea  and sky and land and sin.

We tidy away the chaos
In the uniform of the state
Redemption's never easy 
Though we are often late. 

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