YES, WE’LL REMEMBER WHAT’S-HIS-NAME (weekly poem)

YES, WE’LL REMEMBER WHAT’S-HIS-NAME

Yes, we'll remember what’s-his-name,

A century ago;

In the Great War to end all wars,

'Cause we'll feel a warm glow,

That helps us to forget the lies,

Of why we went to war;

The carving out of colonies,

The British Lion's roar.

“The evilness of Kaiser Bill”,

“The dark threat of the Bosch”;

“The British Empire under threat”,

And other putrid tosh.

The glow that helps us to forget,

In case we cry inside;

For fellow humans—killed for just,

Mere jingoistic pride.

And all for what? So officers,

Could show chaps their V.C.;

The Donkeys leading Lions who,

Were fooled like you and me,

Into that war and all wars since,

Believing that it’s true;

That we were fighting just for us,

Not for the well-heeled few.

© Richard Layton