These are the words

that made our home.

These are the songs

that flesh our bones.

The stories

that make

our warriors take

their lives out on the road.

 

The fires that burn

to keep the cold

at bay on a winter’s night.

A tale that’s told

of a battle old,

to keep us brave in fright.

A song that’s sung

when the time has come

for us to join the fight.

These are the words

that will be heard

and sung with all our might.

 

With fire and steel

we shall appeal

to God in His endless sky,

that he might deign

to write our names

in The Book of Eternal Life.

 

On fields afar,

in a smoky bar,

in a city far from home,

God give our hearts

the strength to part

to forces of our foes.

 

Let our minds be shrewd

and our fears be few,

and our grip on our weapon strong.

Let our aim be true,

and swift to do

what we must

as the battle roars on.

 

Let our luck be good,

and we do as we should,

so that peace and freedom thrive,

and know it was these

that we fought to appease,

when we get to close our eyes.

 

These are the words

we’ll speak to our brothers,

around the fire

when we’re old.

The tales we’ll tell

of our days in Hell,

and the cost of flesh and bone.

 

How we prayed for peace,

how we fought to be free,

how we raised our voices high.

These are the songs

that we shall sing,

when it’s our turn to die.

 

This is the peace

that will never cease,

as long as we keep strong.

If we grow weak,

then the words that we speak

might be another battle song.

 

 

HG – 2020