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1914, the game of truce

Clik The Mouse

Monday, January 4th, 2010

1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 there once was a man
I know not his name
who crawled from a trench
and took part in a game

2 Leave a comment on verse 2 0 there once was a man
joined by others
opponents at war
but fleetingly brothers

3 Leave a comment on verse 3 0 there once was a man
who brought out a ball
with rifles for goalposts
in the land of the Gaulle

4 Leave a comment on verse 4 0 there once was a man
who took on Fritz
smiles all round
amidst the Blitz

5 Leave a comment on verse 5 0 there once was a man
who answered to ‘Tommy’
the game was his king
not Crown nor Commie

6 Leave a comment on verse 6 0 there once was a man
just doing his duty
and this his last chance
to score a beauty

7 Leave a comment on verse 7 0 there once was a man
on a mazy dribble
with corpses for touchlines
but they didn’t quibble

8 Leave a comment on verse 8 0 there once was a man
with a mighty kick
and the ball needed leathering
with the mud so thick

9 Leave a comment on verse 9 0 there once was a man
who made a great pass
over a pitch covered
with blood – not grass

10 Leave a comment on verse 10 0 there once was a man
who made a great tackle
but was ordered to re-trench
and resume the debacle

11 Leave a comment on verse 11 0 there once was a man
who took a shot
his head snapped back
‘n that’s his lot

© Clik the mouse, 24th December 2009

Notes

every single Christmas, this iconic game tugs at my heartstrings.

I’m hoping the next generation – never forget.
My children have quite willingly read a book I can’t recommend highly enough :

Michael Foreman’s : War Game

I also recommend you look up (on the internet) :

“The best Christmas present in the world”

A short story by the children’s laureate, Michael Morpurgo

Found here :
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2003/dec/23/booksforchildrenandteenagers.christmas

I’m not ashamed to say it brought tears to my eyes when I read it today.

Source: http://footballpoets.org/poems/1914-the-game-of-truce/