War and Children

I tell a tale of younger days When I was just a kid I went to school in war time As many others did We would collect the shrapnel From the big guns overnight Most shells missed their target But would still cause aircrews fright Maybe on our way to school A house a smoking wreck We were not allowed to close To see we'd crane our neck The bombers came in waves at night We didn't get much sleep Scant room inside that concrete box Jammed like a mob of sheep The all clear goes it's back to bed And then to rise again The German aircraft overhead And down the bombs would rain I lived in Highbury at the time Where guns fired to the sky Both sides tried to kill or maim I often wondered why Even now I'm older I still don't understand Why humans are so agro And can't live hand in hand Is it just the Makers way To make our numbers fall We have no other predators It really is our call I hope that when I've left this earth Intelligence will reign We will control our populations And not need war again There will be no little children With gas mask in a pack See such death and destruction On their way to school and back