Kesmas Mornin': 1914. Poem by William Baron

Kesmas is wi' us once agen,
But it dawns on th' deadly battle fray ;
An' 'Peace on earth, Goodwill to men ! '
Seawnds strangely eawt o' place to-day.
Wi' th' red blood flowin' i' endless streams
As th' sequel o' th' Kaiser's ruthless schemes,
To wish folks ' merry ' a mockery seems
On this sad Kesmas mornin'.

This should he th' season o' jollity,
But it's black an' gloomy enuff this time ;
For to revel, while luv'd ones feight an' dee,
Would surely be a heartless crime.
In theawsands o' whoams' at wur glad last year,
To-day yo may see a vacant cheear,
An' for th' son or husband 'at's missin' theer
They're weepin' this Kesmas mornin'.

When yo sit at yor festive board to dine,
Wi' everything reawnd yo breet.an' gay,
To th' gallant lads i' th' firin' line
Yo'll happen alleaw yor thowts to stray.
Remember, while sittin' i' th' fireside's glow,
'At some friend or owd playmate may be laid low
While stemmin' th' onrush o' th' comin' foe
In t' trenches this Kesmas mornin'.

We're in it, an' mean to stick it, too ;
For we'st nooan back eawt, neaw we've once begun,
Until we've exacted fro' th' Junker crew
Full reparation for th' wrongs they've done.
So to Tommy an' Jack, where'er they be,
Here's health, an' a speedy victory !
An' may th' world ne'er agen be fated to see
So joyless a Kesmas mornin'.