Lit By THe Candle Within

 

 

 

 

 

 

LIT BY THE CANDLE WITHIN

 

 

 

BORN TO THE SOUND OF THE BOMB

 

UNKNOWING AND SO UNAFRAID

 

UNAWARE OF THE FEAR OF DYING

 

UNAWARE OF THE FEAR OF PAIN

 

BY FOUR I COULD TELL THE DIFFERENCE

 

BETWEEN A ROCKET AND A PLANE

 

 

 

GRIT IN THE BREAD AND THE WATER

 

IF ANY IS FOUND TODAY

 

BORN TO THE SOUND OF THE GUNS

 

BORN TO THE SMELL OF THE DRAINS

 

LIT BY THE CANDLE WITHIN

 

LIT BY THE FIRES WITHOUT

 

 

 

BY FIVE I WAS LEARNING TO FEAR

 

IN THE DARK OF THE SLEEPLESS NIGHTS

 

IN THE DUST OF THE BURNED OUT DAY

 

IN THE SEARCH FOR THE WATERS OF LIFE

 

ASK YOUR GOD FOR SOME PEACE AND SOME RESPITE

 

FROM THIS DESPERATE STRUGGLE FOR LIFE

 

 

 

SOLDIERS TAKE FOOD WITH THEIR GUNS

 

THEY’RE FIGHTING THIS WAR FOR YOU

 

IF THEY TAKE ALL THE FOOD

 

THER’LL BE NOTHING FOR YOU

 

YOU’LL BE DEAD BEFORE THEY HAVE WON

 

YOU WONDER HOW IT BEGAN

 

 

 

YES, YOU WONDER HOW IT BEGAN

 

 

 

WITH THEIR BOOTS AND JACKETS AND CAPS

 

WITH THEIR LIES AND THEIR TANKS AND THEIR SHELLS

 

THEY DESTROY WHAT THEY’RE FIGHTING FOR

 

AND THEY SAY IT’S ALL FOR US

 

THOUGH WE NEVER ASKED FOR THIS WAR

 

BUT THIS WAR IS COMING FOR YOU

 

 

 

ENOBLED WITH FLAGS AND PARADES

 

SPEECHES JUSTIFY CAUSE

 

DEAF WHEN WE ASK THEM TO STOP

 

OUR VOICES DROWNED OUT IN THE ROAR

 

SO EASY TO START, SO HARD TO ABORT

 

THAT’S HOW CAUSES ARE FOUGHT

 

 

 

THEY CAN NEVER JUSTIFY LOSS

 

IN ANY COURT OF LAW

 

ALL WARS ARE THE SAME

 

THEY ONLY CHANGE NAME

 

OR A TIME OR A PLACE OR A FACE

 

A LAND OR A GOD OR A RACE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LIFE GOES OUT OF THE WINDOW

 

AS DEATH COMES IN AT THE DOOR

 

LOVE GOES OUT OF YOUR LIFE

 

IT’S NOT WORTH LIVING FOR

 

DIFFERENT PLACES, SAME OLD WAR

 

SAME EXCUSES WE HEARD BEFORE

 

 

 

BUT THE STORY GOES ON

 

LIKE THE GUTTERING LIGHT

 

IN THE DEPTH OF THE SLEEPLESS NIGHT

 

WE NEVER GIVE UP

 

THE SPIRIT LIVES ON

 

LIT BY THE CANDLE WITHIN

 

 

 

BUT WORSE THAN THE HOWL OF THE PLANES

 

WORSE THAN THE SPLINTERING BOMBS

 

IS THE SOUND OF THE RUNNING BOOTS

 

OF THE SHOUTS OF THE MEN WITH THE GUNS

 

THE BANGING, THE SHOOTING, THE SCREAMS

 

THEN THE SILENCE AND THE PAIN

 

 

 

AGAIN, AND AGAIN, AND AGAIN

 

 

 

THE ONE IN MY LIFE HAS BEEN TAKEN

 

MY REASON TO LIVE HAS GONE

 

LOVE HAS BEEN STOLEN FROM ME

 

MY HEART HAS LOST IT’S SONG

 

MY MEANING HAS LOST IT’S PURPOSE

 

MY SOUL WHICH ONCE WAS STRONG

 

HAS ESCAPED FROM MY BEING

 

IV’E LOST ALL MY FEELINGS

 

I’M NOT DEAD BUT MY LIFE HAS GONE

 

I’M NOT DEAD BUT MY LIFE HAS GONE

 

 

 

 

 

Copyright

 

GRAHAM NICOLLS  MARCH 2015

 

AMENDED APRIL 2015

 

AMENDED AUGUST 2015

 

grahamnicolls@hotmail.com