The (other) Lost Battalion
(A tribute to the 5th Army in British Music Hall Prose)
John Kostka
“I think we’re rather lost”, said the Captain to his men.
“We must have taken a wrong turn somewhere back in Amiens”
“I’m sure we’ll have it sorted and things will turn out all right”
“But, I think we’ll have to set up a bivvy for the night.”
The men were tired and weary, as they surely often are,
it been a long time marching since they’d seen a railroad car.
The dreaded call of “Uncle Charlie!” rang in all their ears,
as they thanked their lucky stars that the front was nowhere near.
Let it be known here that the men knew misery,
for it had been far to long since they’d seen some SRD.
Far from a good field kitchen they had Shackles and cold tea.
And cursed the lack of a proper spot for one to go and wee.
The tents went up on cold hard ground,
a fancy bed for men of town.
And so it is that these troops lie in repose,
some happy, some concerned, and some picking at their nose.
But it doesn’t really matter, does it? Where these 5th Army men will go,
for come spring, this lost battalion will be landowners,
every one, this we know.
I like the bouncy tone that you achieved with this through rhyming. It reminds me of poetry we read from WWI and WWII in history this year.
ReplyDeleteI love this poem, your choice of diction and structure transport the reader into a cinematic scene of war. My favorite line is, "as they thanked their lucky stars that the front was nowhere near." I think you used alliteration very well!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI love the use of rhythm and rhyme in this poem. My favorite line would probably be "The tents went up on cold hard ground,/a fancy bed for men of town", because it really contrasts the conditions of these soldiers with that of townsfolk, and the living conditions of these men prior to the war.
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