Come On Over Fritz

.Inspired From Sapper French's Diary from April 23. 1916 "Come On Over Fritz" Rain like a shower down my back off a thin wooden lath It’s cold and miserable unlike the remembered welcome hot bath Air so bad we cannot breathe, today don’t feel much like taking this path. Gas bombs are falling a thick yellow cloud is rolling our way. Pray God the wind catches and sends it astray. Thank God no gas lungs for us today… We used the same trick as miners with a canary bird to test for gas But we caged a mouse instead to test the air if it died we would not pass We got sick, but the mouse survived, oh telling us; what an ass. Got a cut upon my leg, the doctor says it’s septic What a relief a hospital bed, lots of company, analeptic I though this war was right, now I’m becoming a sceptic. Back in the field scores of bodies lying dead Personalities cut down stuck in mud ahead Blood bath, bodies everywhere we tread. Walking in water up to our knees without ease Found water cress, so good with bread and cheese. A little comfort, although not much sitting in this bise. It’s strange something simple like finding water cress Can give us an unsophisticated pleasure in this gory mess Eating and drinking, amidst body parts - no less. But we had to do what we could with for every inch we could gain How the mighty fall the Germans came to our trench of mud and rain With grenades, daggers and bayonets – most stayed, face down; slain. A huge German solider was patched up by our own lads An older man with a scratch; reminded us all of our dads It’s remarkable we fight and kill, yet untold efforts to mend these cads. August the tenth a strange day a German stuck his head over the barbette One of our boys called out “Come on over fritz” as if he did it for a bet Fritz relied in perfect English “no blooming fear” happy just to have met. After the respite of banter back and forth New orders went out to be followed henceforth Anyone talking to the enemy would be arrested thenceforth. Entered into Mark Toney's Poetry Marathon mile 7 contest