The circus toured the local towns
With dancing dogs and painted clowns,
Behind them marched the King's Dragoons,
To harvest men, for their platoons.
They set up on the village green,
By one and all, they could be seen.
Young Billy White marched up and down,
Ignored the dogs, and hapless clown.
He'd dreamed he'd wear the coat of red,
Deeds of valour filled his head.
But he was only twelve years old,
Too young for war, so he'd been told.
The sergeant spotted Billy White
And asked him did he want to fight?
"Oh, yes!" said Billy, "but I'm small,"
"Don't worry lad, you'll soon grow tall!"
So Billy took the shilling bright
And made his mark, to go and fight.
Billy's mother shed a tear,
Heart filled with sadness, and with fear.
Her son was marching off to war,
As her dead husband had, before.
Her son was going off to fight,
The price, a Monarch's shilling, bright.
With pride he wore his scarlet coat,
As he marched south, to board the boat.
On board he learned the drum to beat,
For victory, but not defeat.
He slept on deck, beneath the moon,
Amid the snores of his platoon.
When the day of battle came,
He heard the sergeant call his name.
"Billy, you be tall and proud"
"And beat your drum, in time, out loud."
"Cause when your comrades hear your beat,"
They'll march along, and not retreat."
The order to advance was made,
And forward went, this red parade.
The sound of Russian guns did roar,
Billy's eyes, looked on, in awe.
Deafened by the awful sound,
Red bodies littered, all around.
Still, Billy kept a perfect beat,
The sergeant screamed, "Boys, no retreat!"
The bullet ripped through Billy's chest,
He fell down dead, like all the rest.
An hour later, battle lost,
The sergeant tasked, to count the cost.
The ground no longer green, but red,
He sent some men, to strip the dead.
They stripped poor Billy, of his coat,
And took the scarf, from round his throat.
They closed his lifeless, staring eyes,
His drum, they took, another prize.
To you who organize these wars,
To suit yourselves, or for your cause.
Just think of those you kill, and maim,
And bow your heads, in lifelong shame!!!!!
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Owain Glyn
