(Cross-posted from Carregonnen)
We all stood at the station shouting Goodbye Goodbye
And the banners and the flags
were like rainbows in the sky
I held my husband to me and felt a cold wind blowing
Yet I cheered with pride and gladness
never guessing to what madness
they were going
We lived our lives without him getting
letters now and then
And between the lines of jokes and half-truths
I learned what war did to men
I held my young son to me and the wind was getting colder
There was no more pride and gladness
I recognised the madness
I was older
But he never did come back again twenty thousand died that day
and he was just another name on paper
on a list that grew each day
I watched my young son growing and I tried to teach him well
That there was no pride in dying
Politicians practised lying
Damn their souls to hell
Before the dust had really settled the call came out once more
And the politicians cracked the whip and the men danced as before
I watched my son’s own battle as he fought to find his truth
Then he turned to me in silence
And he turned away from violence
There’s wisdom still in youth
It seems so long ago now so many years have passed
And we live within a fragile peace that we are told will last
And I’ve watched my family growing
but I feel such fear and pain
For the way that things are going
I can feel the cold wind blowing
As it happens again and again and again and again and ………….
Barbara Hughes
1983
We all stood at the station shouting Goodbye Goodbye
And the banners and the flags
were like rainbows in the sky
I held my husband to me and felt a cold wind blowing
Yet I cheered with pride and gladness
never guessing to what madness
they were going
We lived our lives without him getting
letters now and then
And between the lines of jokes and half-truths
I learned what war did to men
I held my young son to me and the wind was getting colder
There was no more pride and gladness
I recognised the madness
I was older
But he never did come back again twenty thousand died that day
and he was just another name on paper
on a list that grew each day
I watched my young son growing and I tried to teach him well
That there was no pride in dying
Politicians practised lying
Damn their souls to hell
Before the dust had really settled the call came out once more
And the politicians cracked the whip and the men danced as before
I watched my son’s own battle as he fought to find his truth
Then he turned to me in silence
And he turned away from violence
There’s wisdom still in youth
It seems so long ago now so many years have passed
And we live within a fragile peace that we are told will last
And I’ve watched my family growing
but I feel such fear and pain
For the way that things are going
I can feel the cold wind blowing
As it happens again and again and again and again and ………….
Barbara Hughes
1983
