Lest We Forget

A friend of mine wrote this for Remembrance Day:


FIVE MILES TO PASSENDALE


LET NONE SLEEP TONIGHT WE`VE GOT A WAR TO FIGHT
CAME THE EARLY REVEILLE HORN
WITH DRIED MUD ON MY FACE IN THAT FRONTLINE PLACE
AND A DUTY AS SURE AS I`M BORN
THE PRICE WAS QUITE HIGH FOR A HILL SO NIGH
THAT CURRY WAS FROZEN TO THE CORE
BUT HAIG SAID PUSH NORTH WITH YOUR CANADIAN FORCE
ALL FIFTEEN THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED AND NINETY FOUR

WHEN DOES LIFE BECOME AN OBLIGATION
WHEN MEN DIE TO SAVE OUR NECKS AND NATION
DO YOU FEEL IT BEARING DOWN UPON US ALL
THOSE OF US WHOM LIVE AFTER THEIR FALL

WE WERE THE 3RD AND 4TH CANADIAN DIVISION
WHO WERE THE FINAL SACRIFICING MISSION
TO PULL OUR GUNS BACK OUT OF THE MUD
OR BE SUCKED INTO A GRAVE OF DIRT AND BLOOD
EIGHTY PERCENT IS TOO HIGH WAS THE GENERAL`S CRY
THESE MEN ARE DESPERATE TO FIND COVER
HOWEVER THE MESSAGE CAME THROUGH
AND ALL THOSE CANADIANS WE KNEW
BECAME THE KEEPERS OF OUR BROTHER

A REPRIEVE OF COURSE FROM THE OPPOSING FORCE
ALLOWED THIRTY MINUETS TO REMOVE THE DEAD
BUT WE ALL KNEW THAT WHEN FINALLY THROUGH
THEIR SIGHTS WOULD BE BACK UPON OUR HEAD
TO RESTART THE WAR AND NOT KNOWING WHAT FOR
WAS A MOMENT THAT PERPLEXED US ALL
YET THE COMMAND CAME DOWN AND AGAIN WE FOUND
OURSELVES HAD BEEN TAKEN TO THE WALL

IT WAS A SENSELESS PARADE AND A FALSE FACADE
THAT THIS HILL NEEDED TO BE TAKEN
OF COURSE WE ALL KNEW THAT THE GENERAL`S VIEW
WOULD BE OF HUBRIS, PRIDE AND HIS BACON
SO WE DID OUR JOB IN THAT NOVEMBER FOG
TO PLEASE THE COURTS AND ALL THAT TALE
AND WE DID WHAT WAS DONE, IN THE END WE HAD WON
THE LAST OF FIVE MILES TO PASSENDALE

WHEN DOES A LIFE`S REGRET BECOME OUR DEBT
FOR ALL THOSE WHOM WE`VE NEVER KNOWN
WHO PAVED THE WAY SO THAT WE COULD SAY
THANKS FOR MY LIFE, MY LIMB AND MY HOME

JOE RENAUD