The Relief At Passchendaele

In 1917 the British and Commonwealth forces attacked In the Ypres Salient in the corner of Belgium they hacked Through the Third Battle of Ypres that had been raging away With the battlefield turning to endless mud that would stay As the rain fell at Poelkapelle at the Sherwood Foresters line Was just holding on and waiting to be relieved at their time In the mess that was the trench line a giant jumped in And the Forester was startled in all of the battle din He said, 'Who the hell are you? ' As the conversation begun The giant replied, 'We're the Aussies to relieve you chum! ' The Forester said, 'I can't give you food, ammunition or keep the rain off' The Aussie said, 'Never mind that, we don't need it, just bugger off.' So the Foresters left the trench and started the journey back Through the flooded battlefield and water filled shell holes in a hack And they lost as many men drowned the slush and mud fields As the Passchendaele battle continued the murder and bodies yield. © Paul Warren Poetry