STATISTICS

THE FUSILIER

THE FUSILIER

The Politician sat in Parliament
Counting his expenses
He needed a new duck pond
The best the most expensive
The soldier lay down in Helmand
Low on bullets rations and water
He hoped he would see another Dawn
And his smiling baby daughter
The Tory ordered Dom Perignon
It was lunch time after all
He lit up a Cohiba Esplendido cigar
Puffing smoke into the hall
The soldier charged the machine gun nest
As his wounded comrade fell
A Fusilier he would save his friend
No soldier will be left in this Hell
The politician had to make some cuts
To axe a Battalion or two
He took a swig of Dom Perignon
“The Fusiliers will do.”

© Tony McNally

FROM HERO TO ZERO

Shuffling down the street trying to keep warm
The water was in his sock now, his boots had seen better days
As he had many moons ago when bristling with pride and youth
Now hunched against a railway bridge his collar chaffed his neck
Smiling down at him a David Cameron poster promising him a future
Laughing he coughed up phlegm and spat it at the face
Trying to stand pain shot up his spine
His mind propelled back in time
Top cover in Basra a road side bomb `BANG` it all went black
Rain lashed the veteran’s face as he limped into the emptiness
Looking back at the phlegm he giggled like he did in the block
"Shot Over," "Splash Over" he was happy for a while.

© Tony McNally