August 4th 1914: The First World War

Submitted by dalcassian on 29 December, 2013 - 5:47

Go fight, you fools! Tear up the earth
with strife
And1 spill each others guts upon the
field;
Serve unto death the men you served in
in life
So that their wide dominions may not
yield.
Stand by the flag—the lie that still al-
lures ;
Lay down your lives for land you do not
own,
And give unto a war that is not yours
Your gory tithe of mangled flesh and
bone.

But whether it be yours to fall or kill
You must not question why nor where.
You see the tiny crosses on that hill?
It took all those to make one million-
aire.
The bugle screams, the cannons cease to
roar.
"Enough! enough! God give us peace
again."
The rats, the maggots and the Lords of
War
Are fat to bursting from their meal of
men.

So stagger back, you stupid dupes who've
"won",
Back to your stricken towns to toil
anew.
For there your dismal tasks are still un-
done
And grim Starvation gropes again for
you.
Then you will find that "nation" is a name
And boundaries are things that don't
exist;
That Labor's bondage, worldwide, Is the
same.
And ONE the enemy it must resist.

Montreal, 1914

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