This memorial to 51st Battalion of the H.L.I. can be found in Glasgow Green

Did you see him? ©

Did you see him Jennie?
Did you see him Tam?
See him in all his finery
Did you see my bonnie wee man?

Marching out he went
Marching to the pipe band
There isn't a prouder father
In, the whole of this land.

He chose to join the colours
Like his grandfather and me
Following on our tradition
For we are a military family.

I followed them to the ship
And watched as they sailed away
There was a lump in my throat
But they'll be back soon they say.

Did you see him Jennie?
Did you see him Tam?
Did you see what came back?
Of my bonnie wee man.

He didn't see any action
It was an accident they said
Before meeting the enemy
My bonnie lad was dead.

As the piper played over him
Sure tears filled my eye
But he was born to be a soldier
And as a soldier he did die.

I'm so glad you saw him Jennie
And I'm glad you saw him Tam
Thank you for being with me
To say goodbye to my bonnie wee man.

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FIRST BLOOD ©

We are all lined up and waiting
apprehension is running rife
for before this day was over
I will haveve died or taken a life.

Just how had it come to this
our leaders did they really try?
and will I stand or run away
when I hear, the battle cry?

The order is then given to advance
driving all thoughts from my head
I run ahead, firing and avoiding
ignoring any places that bled.

The thunder of the guns deafen me
stop me from hearing those death cries
and I am so filled with the blood lust
I seem no longer human or wise.

Nobody heard the cease fire
no that battle just came to an end
then I fell to my knees and prayed
over the remains of my best friend.

We had both joined the same say
to try to keep the world more free
he had this one bloody battle
now it is left to the likes of me...

 

 

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THE RINGING OF THE BELL. ©

That wee single end was jam packed
Mrs Friel wis'nae tae be left by hersel
There wis aywis two or three by her side
There is mair fur the ringing o' the bell.

Ina Black fed Mrs Friel wi drink
'Jist tae take her out o' hersel
Dr McPhee the joined them
An wid say tae the ringing o' the bell.

Her youngest son Jimmy, her pride and joy
Had turned out a right spoilt ne'er-do-well
Who for his latest maist heinous crime
He wis is sittin' in a condemned cell.

The clock oan the mantle wis that bit fast
And as it chimed Mrs Friel screamed and fell
Dr McPhee feelin' her pulse shook his head
Then they aw heard the ringin' o' the bell.

It wis commonly agreed by all there
That maybe this wis jist as well
Fur a mother shouldn't out live her child
Mrs Friel was dead afore the ringin' o' the bell

 

This bell can be found in the People's Palace Museum,
on the Glasgow green.

It once hung in Duke St. prison
and was rung after the execution of a convict.

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ON THE SPANISH MAIN.©
Or, Before Virtual reality.

High in the cloudless sky the sun shone down
Upon a ship becalmed on the Spanish Main
Those swarthy swabs had been so long at sea
They thought never to see home again.

Then from the crows nest was heard a cry
'Sail Ho,' on the starboard side'
With the whole crew rushing to take a look
That tar bucket of ship well nigh capsized.

The Captain on foc'sel called 'Belay there'
Get ye to your to stations you scum'
The crew quickly obeying the command
For they manned and charged the guns

The ship was a galleon three times their size
'Captain,' says the mate,' we are outgunned'
'Fear not, mate I've still a trick or two
It will not be us this day that will be undone.'

With all their guns now primed and ready
There really was no time to feel fear
Thoughts of the treasure filled their minds
As that ship then, grew ever so near.

Suddenly a wind blew dark clouds above
And then a heavy rain began to fall
'Ach tae hell wi this Ah'm aff hame'
Shouted out, wee Tommy McCall.

The captain he was livid and he cried
'Some bloody sailor you wid be
Ur ye scared o' a wee spot of rain.'
Tommy says 'Naw Ah'm jist late fur mah tea.

That roaring sea then became one of grass
As the crew scattered the captain did call
'Yir aw jist a bunch o' bloody weans
An' yir no playin' again Tommy McCall'.

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The question.©

My country was forced into war,
and I enlisted in the army,
they trained me to fight and kill,
then sent me across the sea,
One thing was never clear,
they never explained to me,
if two wrongs don't make a right,
how can it be right to fight, and kill,
how can it be right.

I earned medals fighting on land,
and medals fighting at sea,
took part in every battle,
from Libya through Italy,
All this fighting it seems,
has started a battle in me,
for If two wrongs don't make a right,
how can it be right to fight, and kill,
how can it be right.

They are writing a book of my exploits,
they will make a film star of me,
now that I'm back home again,
I'm a hero to all who meet me,
But I still have this problem,
would someone explain to me,
if two wrongs don't make a right,
how can it be right to fight, and kill,
how can it be right.

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