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The war we had to have

It was “the war we had to have” they said,

and haven’t we had so many!

And how come we had to have so many

of,

‘the wars we had to have?’

And no doubt there will be more wars that we,

just must have.

After all,

“war is inevitable” they say!

And so off to war I went,

thinking honestly and truly that,

“this was the war we had to have,

others wars were optional,” I thought,

“but this one, O we just must have!”

And so like so many people before me,

I had typically thought,

“not only was this the war we had to have” but also,

“this will be the war to end all wars.”

And alas I was wrong,

but I couldn’t see it at the time for I believed,

“This was the war we had to have.”

© Written by Dominic John Gill May 16, 2006 www.poetry.net.au  dominicj7@poetry.net.au