My Dream of August 5th

My Dream of August 5th
(in awakening to the centenary)

After marching to the front
  We began at digging trenches,
  Six foot was deep enough.

In the morning we mustered for target practice
  with the Bosche, who marched faster and shot straighter than we,
  and earned their winning score.

So we went first.
  Ten of our men lay down where they’d dug,
  and ten more of us without ceremony buried them,
And our Mothers cried, and our Nation mourned,
  for who shall first expire of boys?

Then next the Germans took and lay down ten of theirs

  in their own earthen works,
  with ten more in their turn to bury them
And their Mothers cried, and their Nation mourned,
  for who first shall expire of boys?

Upon our right we met brown Tommy,
  who joined us in the digging game,
And their Mothers cried, and their Nation mourned,
  for first who shall expire of boys?

From east at the Swiss border, to Lux and Belge,
  and even in the channel at low tide,
  then back again, and back again,
  and back again,
 the wonder,
  of who shall expire first of boys?

From Algiers and Egypt, India and ANZAC,
  even pasty doughboy Joe arrived by boat
And all Mothers cried and the whole earth mourned,
  for hoping,
  of whom shall expire first of boys.