A Cold Farewell

It's a cold farewell
For the troops of the trench
When they're swallowed in the cloud
In this mustard colored stench
It's a cold farewell
All their comrades straight to hell
And when the mortar strikes the ground
When the gas fog swells
It's a cold farewell
When your lungs constrict
When your throat burns bare
And your eyes bulge and swell
It's a cold farewell
Your defences shot to hell
Coughing lungfuls of blood
Overwhelmed with dizzy spells
It's a cold farewell
For the troops of the trench
On the battlefield you're stranded
Wounded mildly at best
It's a cold farewell
When you're face down in the mud
And the enemy advances
You're surrounded by the thud
Of the boots on the trot
And the bayonets unsheathed
And you're anxious not to breathe
Desperate not to move
It's a cold farewell
When they stop and they circle
And even though you are surrounded
In your last moments you're alone