Tis a gruesome morbid tale it's true
But the retelling of it is for you
For if the tale gives rise to fright
Makes it hard to sleep at night
Don't drown the mem'ry with strong drink
But rather let it make you think
Ten soldiers in a field one day
Where as children they did play
Dressed up in their fine array
Five in red and five in gray
Red 1, Gray 1, without thinking
Pulled their respective guns
And in the time it takes to pull a trigger
Two grizzly deeds were done
Each shot the other in the head
Their playground, now, their funeral bed
Two Reds stared and Red 3 said
That there's my brother lying dead
Yes, I know, Red 2 replied
The good of State, that's why he died
And convinced that this, indeed, was so
Raised his rifle to his foe
But, Gray 2, so swift with his knife
While losing his, took Red 2's life
Seeing this, Red 3 did speak
Not want'n to sound scared or weak
Praised his comrades' bravery
"To follow, honor, destiny."
But with two Gray fallen, slain
Gray 3 felt not pride, but pain
And vowing to avenge their souls
Cocked the hammer of his Colt
But when he pulled the trigger
The deadly weapon jiggered
And misfired, as guns can do
And he killed not one, but two
Three dead Red, three dead Gray
Two of each remaining
So Red 4, Gray 4 then faced off
As ordered in their training
Red 4 said, Oh, I was poor
I have a job to do
So I hate to tell you buddy
But your time on Earth is through
This inspired Gray to think
That things had reached the point
To see his happy home again
Red must meet his bayo's point
Thus in unison they lunged
With last thoughts of their mothers
And while Red 4's throat was slashed
He spilt the belly of the other
That left just two remaining
You'd think they'd have a chance
To think things over clearly
To learn from circumstance
But instead each only saw
A chance to be a hero
The one of his side standing
When the enemy had zero
They slugged it out, back and forth
East and West, South and North
But neither could prevail
They stayed their fight
Through the night
Even through a mighty gale
Bloody noses
Bloody clothes
Covered head to toe with dirt
Dawn's light found
Red 5 choking
Gray 5 with his shirt
The madness would not stop
Gray broke free and rolled on top
Then grabbed Red by his sleeve
And slammed his fist into his teeth
But numbed by pain and anger
And the instinct to survive
Red thrust muddy, bloody fingers
Into his attacker's eyes
In blind RAGE, Gray, he screamed
Vowed to see Red's soul in hell
Given the current state of things
Perhaps it'd be as well
In the flame of fury
The fight continued
Each broke the other's bones
Tore their skin
Bruised their bodies
Shattered teeth upon a stone
Then they thrashed into the river
Red swore to drown his foe
But as Gray sank deep down
Into the mud below
He clasped tightly onto Red
Ending both their lives that day
The river holds their final words
To this very day
Peaceful men before the war
Each honest and upstanding
Tis fitting they be mourned
By those of understanding
But the world, it keeps on turning
These deeds will be forgotten
The candle, time, is burning
Fresh flowers soon are rotten
But when you feel the rage
Of a hundred crosses burning
Think of eight slain soldiers in a field
And two in the river churning
And of the ending of this tale. . .
Two children skipping rocks downstream
Their faces light up with a gleam
Knowing nothing of what had been done
Pluck two floating hats and put them on
This innocent joviality
It scared the daylights out of me
For though I know it need not be said
One donned gray, the other red
