'Why should we fight for England?'
"Why should we fight?" he asked me, "'Cause England is at war?
Why are they fighting now, Dad. What are they fighting for?
What does it mean to you, Dad, to babes and Mum and me?
The Germans won't come here from far away across the sea.
So why should you go there, Dad, and leave us here to cry?
Is it 'cause England owns us? Is that the reason why?"
His eyes looked wildly at me. I tightly held my son.
And this is how I answered his questions one by one...
"We fight when England calls us, for in her sacred keep
The ashes of our fathers lie in her soil asleep,
And many times for England they fought that she'd be free,
And they are part of England, and so my son are we.
And some may pass her by, lad, and some may scorn her hand,
But we must be forever a fair part of this land.
For everything we have, son, that's good and fine and just
Was washed in British blood and given us in trust.
And we must keep that trust, son, against that force of greed,
And fight beside old England whenever she's in need.
And once again she's calling across the empire wide
And all her empire answers: 'You'll find us by your side.'
Oh yes we're owned by England, But we own England, too,
As you are part of me, son, and I am part of you."
- Harold Wood -