The Unknown Soldier

My brothers lie on a field of grass
My father in the crook of a tree
My eldest son in the desert
My youngest daughter remains to be seen
It was the last, the greatest, best
Troughs and pits upon God’s earth
To commit our brothers, sisters, friends
To remember what little it was worth
This grass we stained red with toil
This sand we stained red with gain
Red was the colour of the day
Red and black never again
For what purpose for what cause
For what did we so choose to fight
To defend what little things we had
They said it was to halt the night
Torn young children from mother’s arms
Taken our best and finest
The young and old none spared
The rest shown no kindness
My brother was a man of action
My father was a man of books
My son barely gone to manhood
My daughter the fires took
Yet I ask that they be remembered
Yet we ask to be spared their fate
For every soul lost to struggle
Family all, in ashes laid
For the cost of what little gain
Is more than the heart can bear
And learning not from lessons past
Has anyone learned to care?
Blinded by the tomorrow’s lights
Paid little heed to the today
Never sparing, never still
Who will bear it? None can say
Count the millions through the years
Count the brothers, sisters mine
Met the dawning with terrible fear
Taken home before their time