Johnny goes to war

Conflict is part of life. The worst kind of confict is war, because it represents a dead end in the effort to find a solution. Being against war isn't necessarily right or wrong and I think that we should always think about it. Poetry is always a good start...

Johnny Goes To War
by William Thomas Dodd, Germany

Clip clop, clip clop, Johnny goes to war,
left right, left right, does he know what for?
Bang, bang, bang, off goes the gun,
click, clack, clang, Johnnies on the run.
Running for his life, thinking of his wife.

Tatter-Tatter-Tatter-Natter,
listen to machine-gun clatter,
splitter- splatter, splitter-splatter
another life it doesn’t matter.

Politicians tittle-tattle
while brave men, for them do battle,
then die in their wars
while they take the applause,
listen to their roars,
“Let’s fight for the cause”

Scrunching, screeching,
in sun gleaming
is the Tank, commander beaming,
“Fire” he shouts then turns about,
to watch them die, hear them screaming

Boing, boing, boing, bouncing bomb,
boom, boom, doom, gloom,
Bomb explodes, Johnnies gone.
Derrrr-da-derrrr, derrrr-da-derrr,
the bugle sounds retreat.
Johnnies gone to heaven
his maker to meet.

Knock-knock, knock-knock,
there’s someone at the door,
it’s a telegram addressed to mam,
Johnnies gone to war.