Military Service Poem by Jan Oskar Hansen

Military service (compulsory)

Stationed at a camp
The discipline, not too tough unless you had never done up your bed.
They gave us some old German rifle not
Shooting anyone, but for training.
I liked to go guard duty patrolling the perimeter
There I could sit behind a big stone and smoke
The worst thing that happened to me in the
Military service, sitting behind a rock I had
Forgotten my matches and had to cut me
Patrolling short.
From time to time I stayed out too long and it
Ended in a fortnights jail, this suited me to find
Books to read and my room.
The rest of my military service was a waste of time.