Baghdad to Jericho

"And they utterly destroyed everything in the city,
both man and woman, young and old¦
with the edge of the sword

Book of Joshua

Baghdad to Jericho

Come lads, it's celebration time.
You've earned it, sure. You won the day.
Now, in the sunset's bloody hue,
come lift a cup, far from the fray.

Brush vanquished dust from off your boots,
and wipe your troubled faces clean.
You done your duty; done it right,
and left no remnant to be seen.

The reasons were not yours to keen,
no quarter either asked or given,
but orders followed very well
be they dispatched from earth or heaven.

It's true your means were harsh at times,
cruel maybe, blunt, severe,
but, boys, you had no choice in that;
you had a pagan land to clear.

The world's now safe from "evil ones,
and you deserve the bitter praise,
and if some children also fell,
well, that just can't be helped some days.

For Nagasaki's mushroom cloud,
or ram's horn-tumbled city walls,
there's always those who bark commands
and them that answer to the calls.

So, here's to those who answer calls
to ravage homes and poison sod,
and question not the tough commands,
be they from mortal man or God.