In their millions they came -
From the the newest and the oldest lands
To fight, to make good on the claim
That they would stand when the empire called.

Those who have been left behind
many thousands never found again.
And those who returned home to find
A life forever changed, gaps in the familiar.

those who stayed, lie in europe's red earth,
It's warm, eternal embrace
Their final berth
That holds them safe for the rest of time.

Their passing marked by a simple stone.
A name, a date and a symbol of belonging.
Maybe a word from a beloved has shown,
A man once here but now no more.

The sun tans their faces in the morning
And warms their backs at dusk.
Those men who listened to their country's calling,
Forever Buried under the birdsong chorus.