The World's War Of Today

Soon we'll send our boys of twenty,
forth to battle far away;
For justice, right and liberty, they're
going forth today;
Where a despot sways the masses and
where honor's cast aside
And the sea's highway to nations
and the people are denied;
Where relief we send to starving
babes is cast into the sea,
Where whole nations and its people
are deprived of liberty.
And while our boys go forth to fight,
we mothers kneel and pray
"O, Heavenly Father, guard our boys,
and send them home some day.
Their fathers fought for liberty,
'twas in our own dear land;
Today we have as just a cause for lib-
erty to stand.
Though far away they meet the foe
on Europe's bleeding shore,
Where the nations of the world have
met in battle's bloody gore.
Yes, side by side with them to fight
a world's war of today.
Where France and England's soldiers
fight the hosts of Germany,
And while our boys go forth to fight,
this is the mother's plea,
O, Heavenly Father, guard our boys
and bring them back to me.
O, may a world's wide peace be won,
through ages may it last;
May the people choose their rulers
and a monarch's day be past;
May all join to raise the standard
peace and justice gain the day;
May the nations of the world unite
and banish war some way.
O may a brotherhood be born of na-
tions far and wide;
May all unite to stand for right what-
ever else betide.
But now our boys must fight for
right and mothers pray for
peace;
When in Thy name, Thy son shall
reign and wars forever cease."

^__Nettie Squire Sutton.

A Book of Poems
Nettie Squire Sutton
(Minneapolis, KS: Messenger Press. n.d.)
Page 40-41