WAR GAMES (poem)

War Games 

The Centenary of the First World War

A silent place at table side,                    

An empty chair by a cold hearth;               

There sorrow sits for those who’ve died,  

The young cut off from life’s long path.     

An empty chair by a cold hearth,           

And playing at the game of war;

The young cut off from life’s long path,    

Most didn’t even know the score.

And playing at the game of war,

Much grieving, sadness and distress;

Most didn’t even know the score,

Most couldn’t even start to guess.

Much grieving, sadness and distress,

By all those people left in vain;  

Most couldn’t even start to guess,

The one thing left that would remain.

By all those people left in vain,

There sorrow sits for those who’ve died;

The one thing left that would remain,

A silent place at table side.

© Richard Layton