In my opinion the finest anti-war poem. The Box. Once upon a time in the land of Hush-a-bye Around about the wondrous days of yore They came across a sort of box Bound up with chains and locked with locks And labeled, “Kindly Do Not Touch - It’s War.” Decree was issued round about All with a flourish and a shout And a gaily colored mascot tripping lightly on before “Don’t fiddle with this deadly box Or break the chains or pick the locks And please don’t ever play about with war.” Well the children understood Children happen to be good And they were just as good around the time of yore They didn’t try to pick the locks Or break into that deadly box They never tried to play about with war. Mommies didn’t either Sisters, Aunts, or Grannies neither Cause’ they were quiet and sweet and pretty In those wondrous days of yore. Well, very much the same as now Not the ones to blame somehow For opening up that deadly box of war. But someone did Someone battered in the lid And spilled the insides out across the floor. A sort of bouncy bumpy ball Made up of flags and guns and all The tears and horror and death That goes with war. It bounced right out And went bashing all about And bumping into every thing in store. And what was sad and most unfair Is that it really didn’t seem to care Much who it bumped or why, or what, or for. It bumped the children mainly And I’ll tell you this quite plainly It bumps them everyday And more and more. And leaves they dead and burned and dying Thousands of them sick and crying Cause’ when it bumps it’s really very sore. Now there’s a way to stop the ball It isn’t difficult at all All it takes is wisdom And I’m absolutely sure That we could get it back into the box And bind the chains and lock the locks But no one seems to want to save the children anymore. Well, that’s the way it all appears Cause’ it’s been bouncing round for years and years In spite of all that wisdom wiz’ Since those wondrous days of yore… In the time they came upon a box Bound up with chains and locked with locks And labeled, “Kindly Do Not Touch - It’s War” The Box - Lascelles
Posted on: Sun, 10 Nov 2013 10:00:57 +0000