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HE COULD TAKE NO MORE (WORLD WAR ONE)

He'd had his fill , no more could he take
Seen so much death , seen his chums die
before his eyes

As a kid , told at Sunday school '' You should not kill ''
Well he'd killed his fellow man

One day he'd had a enough , he walked away from all that
Did not walked to a planed destination
Just walked away from the fields of death

He'd walked ten miles , when the Red Caps found him
They arrested him for deserting

They court marshaled , it took all of a day , 10 AM , all over by 5 PM
He were found guilty , sentenced him to death

The courts sentence sent to General Haig , who confirmed the sentence of
DEATH

He was told he would die stood before a firing squad made up of his chums
They gave him cups of army rum , he could not drink a single drop , he vomited
All right back up , all over his jacket and trousers

Come the morning , they dragged him to the stake , it was splinted , others had Died there

They tied him to the stake , the standing tree , white rag to show where his hart Were

Tied a blindfold to cover his eyes , so has not to put off the firing squad
Looking in to his terrified eyes
In front stood men , men he know , and men who know him , know him so well

The rum he could not drink , the firing squad , drank plenty
It were the only way for them to do the deed

The officer , barked , '' TAKE AIME! '' FIRE!

Ten guns fire , three hit him , missing others hit everything around him , but Missed his hart , on it shoulder , let and right , third in the belly , none fatal wounds
The officer , took his Webly , out of it's ulster , shot him between his eyes

His body , thrown away , put in a hole in the ground , no words spoken

His mother resevde a telegram '' Madam your son's dead ''
'' According to military law ''
Just one of over 300 to suffer such a fate , he were twenty years of age

Now at least he was out of it

Poetry by ken d williams