I wandered through my native land
And stood aghast at what I saw
As she wept under foreign hands:
No justice, truth or rule of law,
So laid me down in troubles deep
And fell into a fitful sleep.

I dreamt the dead came back and spoke
Of deeds long done, of blood and sword.
They'd died to fend off alien yoke,
To save our land from foreign hordes.
And, win or lose, each one had tried
To throw back the invading tide.

First came a warrior, noble Queen
Who led her men against Caesar's might,
"Grey beards, strong chiefs and striplings green,
We showed proud Rome how men can fight.
And o'er three cities smoke rose high.
To prove that we'd live free or die."

Next spoke a Saxon, golden haired,
Who swung his axe on Senlac field.
"A fight too far, and ill it fared,
But as night fell we would not yield,
And through long centuries of night
Our children knew that we scorned flight."

Defiance kindles in my heart
And I hear; it drives away my unhopeful fear,
Win or lose and come what might
Once more we'll stand, we'll stand and fight.

"I fought with Drake as up the coast,
We chased the mighty Spanish ships.
Our guns and fireships broke the host
Of those who came with rack and whips
And would-be typrants, rich and grand
Found only graves in our England."

"In Flanders fields, me and my mates
From cities, towns, and leaf lanes
Died in the war that fools called 'Great'.
To end all wars', we fell in vain.
In truth we fought the Kaiser's crew
To hand our country on to you."

Last came a lad in pilot's blue
With sadless in his eyes of grey.
I knew him straight - one of the Few
Who stood when others ran away.
"I shot down boys of our own kind
To save your right to speak your mind."

Then all of them looked round our land.
For which they went to early graves.
I saw they couldn't understand
The evils wrought by fools and knaves.
But then on me they all did turn
And 'neath their gaze my soul did burn.

"Win or lose, and come what might,
On land, in air or on the waves
At least we all put up a fight
And now rest easy in our graves.
But what of you, faced by the same
And finding just excuses lame?"

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