Mary Cresswell
Put a new shine on the medals
publish the verses again
dulce et decorum est
as long as the good guys win
Honour with crocodile tears
the opposing ranks of men
‘they’re only blokes like us’
then pick up your rifle again
Tie up the conchies to fence posts
wrench back their arms with wire
remember they barely are human
prop them in the front line
Guts and god and glory
pause to mutter ‘amen’
then repeat that damn story
again and again and again