Michael

"There's something in your face, Michael, I've seen it all the day;     There's something quare that wasn't there when first ye wint away. . . ."     "It's just the Army life, mother, the drill, the left and right,     That puts the stiffinin' in yer spine and locks yer jaw up tight. . . ."     "There's something in your eyes, Michael, an' how they stare and stare -     You're lookin' at me now, me boy, as if I wasn't there. . . ."     "It's just the things I've seen, mother, the sights that come and come,     A bit o' broken, bloody pulp that used to be a chum. . . ."     "There's something on your heart, Michael, that makes ye wake at night,     And often when I hear ye moan, I trimble in me fright. . . ."     "It's just a man I killed, mother, a mother's son like me;     It seems he's always hauntin' me, he'll never let me be. . . ."     "But maybe he was bad, Michael, maybe it was right     To kill the inimy you hate in fair and honest fight. . . ."     "I did not hate at all, mother; he never did me harm;     I think he was a lad like me, who worked upon a farm. . . ."     "And what's it all about, Michael; why did you have to go,     A quiet, peaceful lad like you, and we were happy so? . . ."     "It's thim that's up above, mother, it's thim that sits an' rules;     We've got to fight the wars they make, it's us as are the fools. . . ."     "And what will be the end, Michael, and what's the use, I say,     Of fightin' if whoever wins it's us that's got to pay? . . ."     "Oh, it will be the end, mother, when lads like him and me,     That sweat to feed the ones above, decide that we'll be free. . . ."     "And when will that day come, Michael, and when will fightin' cease,     And simple folks may till their soil and live and love in peace? . . ."     "It's coming soon and soon, mother, it's nearer every day,     When only men who work and sweat will have a word to say;     When all who earn their honest bread in every land and soil     Will claim the Brotherhood of Man, the Comradeship of Toil;     When we, the Workers, all demand: 'What are we fighting for?' . . .     Then, then we'll end that stupid crime, that devil's madness - War."