IT’S OVER!

A deathly silence fills the air

And yes, with fear I walk

For even now we must take care

We mustn’t even talk

Heard that at eleven o’clock

The war will end, yet still

We listen to that tick and tock

And pray for no more ill.

 

The minutes pass, they seem like hours

The final seconds come

In this land where live no flowers

No sound of bees that hum

And then, a rumble far away

Growing louder, stronger

I fear that noise which comes my way

Pray that I live longer.

 

An officer behind me stands

And shouts, “Hip, Hip!” so loud

I turn my back upon these lands

To see him standing proud

“It’s over, Sarge,” he says to me

And shakes me by the hand

“Are you sure, Sir? How can it be?

Is there no final stand?”

 

“It’s over, Sarge,” he says again

As if I hadn’t heard

“That noise you hear is cheering men;

On that, you have my word.”

My pocket watch confirms the fact

The war has ended now

There’ll be no further murderous act

I raise my hat from brow.

 

And suddenly we are all here

We’ve bloody made it through!

It’s over and that’s more than clear

I start to shout it too

Men are prancing round and round

With grins from ear to ear

This is a mighty wall of sound

Best thing I’ve heard all year.

 

I can’t remember so much joy

For words I’ve not found yet

Except perhaps as a small boy

With my first new train set

I join the throng of jigging men

With most of us in tears

We’ll all be homeward bound again

It’s been a long two years

​

My wife, the son I’ve never seen

I’ll hold them tight to me

They need not know just where I’ve been

Just meet me at the quay

For I’ll be home so soon, my dear

But now I’ll celebrate

With all the boys, we’ll raise a cheer

And wonder at our fate.