Upon July 1, 1916 the first day, Battle of the Somme
The British Army suffered a worst day in its existence
Counting all events of its illustrious and storied past
Losing a small city of humans, losing 19,240 men
But true loss and awareness of tragedy happens
Upon an individual and family level, not the army
In war's mania, a madness, a drama, and tragedy
Leaders and state only feel absence of use
Due to an inability to spend the lives again
Use of those lives stopped due to war's course
Death is forever and wounds can be permanent
To be killed might actually be a form of relief
However grievous to the future of a soldier
Physical injury and PTSD are hard to endure
Dying an ending, an escape from the present
“This is what is called dying for your country, but it is actually
selling your soul to a few profiteers for a shilling, and being
massacred to satisfy their selfish purposes. And they call it
WAR--and a legitimate thing at that."
Private Arthur Wrench HQ, 154th Brigade, 51st Division
The British Army suffered a worst day in its existence
Counting all events of its illustrious and storied past
Losing a small city of humans, losing 19,240 men
But true loss and awareness of tragedy happens
Upon an individual and family level, not the army
In war's mania, a madness, a drama, and tragedy
Leaders and state only feel absence of use
Due to an inability to spend the lives again
Use of those lives stopped due to war's course
Death is forever and wounds can be permanent
To be killed might actually be a form of relief
However grievous to the future of a soldier
Physical injury and PTSD are hard to endure
Dying an ending, an escape from the present
“This is what is called dying for your country, but it is actually
selling your soul to a few profiteers for a shilling, and being
massacred to satisfy their selfish purposes. And they call it
WAR--and a legitimate thing at that."
Private Arthur Wrench HQ, 154th Brigade, 51st Division
