No Gold Star

 

Johnny got his gun,

Marched off to war.

Mother in the doorway

Waved goodbye and wept,

Father hugged the phonograph,

Played "Climb up on my knee sonny boy"

Over and over and over again.

 

When the flag is waving

Your country calls.

Right or wrong you go.

Ready on the right!

Ready on the left!

The flag is waving,

The flag is down: FIRE!!

 

Wringing our hands in anguish

Beelzebub hovers around us

Ready to strike any moment.

Waiting, glued to the news

For any hint of a truce.

 

When bodies stop falling

And Johnny comes home

We'll love all the sinners

As well as the saints.

 

"The blue birds over

the white cliffs of Dover"

reverberated in mother's head

while she prayed for no

gold star in the window.