War - Ww1 - The Brass A Poem by Paul Warren

He spoke to his major sitting in judgement
His crime was absence and to jail he'd be sent
Across the battalion colour patch on his shoulder
Was a brass metal A which showed him as bolder

He had earned the right to wear it in the 1915 battle
When he landed on Gallipoli proving his mettle
But those battles were lost three years in the past
Many of his 1914 mates he joined with didn't last

He had survived it all in the Ypres Salient ground
Right up to the last time when he was battle bound
He was advancing until he found the others lying dead
Each one on their patch a Brass A in a fate he did dread

He got to thinking how could he last in this hellish war
Being an original true blue ANZAC didn't help his score
So he waited until the Australian attack had won the day
And with the danger to his mates over he ran right away

He was caught by the red caps who questioned his leave
And taken back to his battalion in a time he did grieve
As he told the Major he'd been away from home so long
He would never see Australia again and he knew it was wrong

The Major took pity on this Australian son who had given all
He was there at the beginning and heard his country's call
For being absent without leave there was six months prison
After years on the front he wanted home his final mission


© Paul Warren Poetry