Along the War Avenue of Honour – for Poetry Recitation, String Orchestra and Percussion

Along the War Avenue of Honour

Poem by Francis Duggan
Poem selected and recited by Bethan Mathis
Music composed by Chris Vaisvil
Selected for the ANDREAS N°15 – 14​-​18 First World War – FRACTION STUDIO COMPILATION

Along The War Avenue Of Honour

Along the war Avenue of Honour a plaque to a dead soldier nailed to every tree
Brave young men who died in battle their reward for their bravery
They died in the war said to end all wars in the killing fields of World war one
But many wars since and far too many bloody battles and peace in the World not yet won.

Wars started by silly ageing men who send the young for them to die
Ageing men who themselves will die of old age and their twilight years they will enjoy,
ageing males heroes of their people we honour cowards as heroes one might say
The young men will go to war for them and the young men with their young lives pay.

The war supposed to end all wars long over almost nine decades since have gone by
But many wars have been fought since then and war pilots drop their big bombs from the night sky
But suppose that’s what will always happen when we give all of our power away
To silly and ageing male war men who with hair dyes cover their gray.

Along the war avenue of honour long dead soldiers names on every tree
Young noble men who died in battle far from homeland and family
In what was to be the war to end all wars yet we don’t have much wisdom to show
For the loss of so many fine young men well over eight decades ago.