Poem written for my brother who was a Selout Scout killed in action in the Rhodesia war on 17th Feb 1978.
UDI was unilateral declaration of independece declared by Ian Smith on 11/11/1965

Thoughts of a Troopie

Ten years old and four feet high
History and U.D.I.
"Today we've struck a blow", said he
"For Justice and Christianity,
For Principle we've made a stand,
Courageous people, splendid land
Civilized we stand or fall
God save the Queen, God bless you all."
And like the years, good friends have gone
Dave and Richard, Mike and John
Crash and ambush, mine and mortar
Cold and heat and dust and water
Freckled David, laughing Paul
and Pete my bravest friend of all.
Write their names on Rolls of Honour,
Scripted bold in golden splendour.
For us will be no victory day,
The dogs of war have gone astray.
Now Principle becomes surrender,
Expediency, the legal tender.
Is justice just for those who shout?
Is this what Christ is all about?
Will someone tell us why we fight?
What once was wrong is now what's right.
Where am I going? - where have I been?
Somewhere...Nowhere...in between
Years of waste - and so I cried,
The day my good friend Johnny died.
written by Russell MacDonald Drysdale (Selout Scout and friend of my brother Johnny)
Pete Whitfield [with special thanks to Kim (PetiteFlower)]






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