A Modern Xmas Carol for REAL Peace on Earth

"What if they gave a war and nobody came?"

Our Universe would shake to its very frame.

"What if they gave a war and nobody came?"

-

A simple question asked by a tiny child;

An OBVIOUS question asked by a litel childe

Just like the Baby Jesus, so meek and so mild.

NO Philosopher, Theologian, or man of Political Fame

Thought to ask, DARED to ask:

      What if the State

               Put on a war

And

      nobody

             came.

-

Draftees would desert, Volunteers would be searched for in vain;

The General Staff Office would have to find out a New Game;

Munitions and uniforms, rotting and rusting in rain

Would be no great loss, if we

Started a war and

      Nobody came.

Sing Allelujah!!!!

-

If the Whole Truth were told, without the Whitewashing and Shame;

If all Sides were Confessing, with Everyone sharing the Blame;

Job Security! Travel!  Adventure! seen at their True Cost;

"Defence" means Attack, Freedom's irredeemably Lost;

If the Weights in the Balance are reckoned at Accurate Sum;

STILL, some Idiot would call out a war --

AND NO-ONE WILL COME!

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That is a slogan on a T-shirt from the '60's.

Along with "War is Not Healthy for Children and Other Living Things".

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Part II – Six Degrees of Separation

I want everyone

Who hears or reads the foregoing poetry

To find out someone of or before military age

On or off a military base, at a college, a high school, a junior high

Or a good friend or close family member

Of such a young person;

Everyone knows someone

Who knows someone who knows someone;

Remember there are only "Six Degrees of Separation"

Between you and

Anyone anyplace on Earth.

I want everyone

Within the reach of my words

To do your best

Make your very best arguments

To dissuade this young person

From buying into the military

No matter what.

-

If you can’t seem to get thru to your subject

You will still have started a process

And the next person they talk to, or the next, or one after that,

Or a newspaper item they read, or a TV show

Might. You are anyway starting something.

-

If the young person

The young man or young woman

Is already in the military

Those troops will need all our most powerful support.

Our support legally, morally, and financially

So that they can choose to desert

Or choose to go for

Conscientious Objector status.

They can still make a choice

And be morally responsible

For their choices.

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This plan

On a large enough scale

Will bring peace

At least as far as the U.S. is concerned

(The greatest threat to peace)

I guarantee it.

It’s already starting to happen.

Because of U.S. troops being shot at

Everyday in Iraq

Military recruiters

Are having trouble filling their quotas....

It’s already happening.

Now it’s up to you, my friend,

To tell somebody

It just ain’t worth it my friend,

The cost is much too high.

Save yourself, and thereby save the country

From its own folly.

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This "carol" has no tune; but feel free to supply one!

I want to emphasize, that all my work is FREE TO BE USED; no copyright involved! You can sing it, recite it, change it, put it to music, put it in a blog, make it into a T-shirt or poster or put it on a solstice or Xmas card! or any other thing you can think of. With or without credit! I WANT MY WORK TO BE A CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS PEACE AND TOWARDS CONSCIOUSNESS-RAISING. That is why my main subject is WAR and its devastation. It's not pretty.

I have thot that the above poem, the first part, would make a good holiday card. So, FEEL FREE to use it that, or any other, way!

BMutiny T

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"Christmas in the Trenches" by John McCutcheon January 01, 2007

I'm always stunned by the true story of the Christmas Truce of 1914 (WWI.) That peace would break out in Noman's Land repeatedly, such that soldiers risked being shot for treason/insubordination, is crazy-making ...

"The Christmas Truce of 1914 on the Western and Eastern Fronts may well represent the last time that the face of humanity would been seen in what was rapidly becoming the ultimate nightmare of the industrial revolution. The concept of total war would soon replace any outdated notion of chivalry.

Originally incorporated as part of the 1996 Christmas theme on the main page, John's lyrics from this 1984 song capture the spirit of that Christmas so many years ago. I thought it best to leave it up for year 'round access, lest we forget its message."

http://www.worldwar1.com/sfcitt.htm

Christmas in the Trenches
by John McCutcheon

My name is Francis Tolliver, I come from Liverpool.
Two years ago the war was waiting for me after school.
To Belgium and to Flanders, to Germany to here
I fought for King and country I love dear.
'Twas Christmas in the trenches, where the frost so bitter hung,
The frozen fields of France were still, no Christmas song was sung
Our families back in England were toasting us that day
Their brave and glorious lads so far away.

I was lying with my messmate on the cold and rocky ground
When across the lines of battle came a most peculiar sound
Says I, "Now listen up, me boys!" each soldier strained to hear
As one young German voice sang out so clear.
"He's singing bloody well, you know!" my partner says to me
Soon, one by one, each German voice joined in harmony
The cannons rested silent, the gas clouds rolled no more
As Christmas brought us respite from the war
As soon as they were finished and a reverent pause was spent
"God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" struck up some lads from Kent
The next they sang was "Stille Nacht." "Tis 'Silent Night'," says I
And in two tongues one song filled up that sky.

"There's someone coming toward us!" the front line sentry cried
All sights were fixed on one long figure trudging from their side
His truce flag, like a Christmas star, shown on that plain so bright
As he, bravely, strode unarmed into the night
Soon one by one on either side walked into No Man's Land
With neither gun nor bayonet we met there hand to hand
We shared some secret brandy and we wished each other well
And in a flare-lit soccer game we gave 'em hell
We traded chocolates, cigarettes, and photographs from home
These sons and fathers far away from families of their own
Young Sanders played his squeezebox and they had a violin
This curious and unlikely band of men.

Soon daylight stole upon us and France was France once more
With sad farewells we each prepared to settle back to war
But the question haunted every heart that lived that wonderous night
"Whose family have I fixed within my sights?"
'Twas Christmas in the trenches where the frost, so bitter hung
The frozen fields of France were warmed as songs of peace were sung
For the walls they'd kept between us to exact the work of war
Had been crumbled and were gone forevermore

My name is Francis Tolliver, in Liverpool I dwell
Each Christmas come since World War I, I've learned its lessons well
That the ones who call the shots won't be among the dead and lame
And on each end of the rifle we're the same

© 1984 John McCutcheon - All rights reserved

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A Modern Xmas Carol for REAL Peace on Earth

"What if they gave a war and nobody came?"

Our Universe would shake to its very frame.

"What if they gave a war and nobody came?"

-

A simple question asked by a tiny child;

An OBVIOUS question asked by a litel childe

Just like the Baby Jesus, so meek and so mild.

NO Philosopher, Theologian, or man of Political Fame

Thought to ask, DARED to ask:

      What if the State

               Put on a war

And

      nobody

             came.

-

Draftees would desert, Volunteers would be searched for in vain;

The General Staff Office would have to find out a New Game;

Munitions and uniforms, rotting and rusting in rain

Would be no great loss, if we

Started a war and

      Nobody came.

-

Sing Allelujah!!!!

-

If the Whole Truth were told, without the Whitewashing and Shame;

If all Sides were Confessing, with Everyone sharing the Blame;

"Job Security!" "Travel!" "Adventure!" seen at their True Cost;

"Defence" means Attack, Freedom's irredeemably Lost;

If the Weights in the Balance are reckoned at Accurate Sum;

STILL, some Idiot would call out a war --

AND NO-ONE WILL COME!

 [ send green star]

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