Only Eighteen by Poeta De Cabra remembers the young soldiers sent to war and the cost borne by those who never returned, those who survived and the families waiting at home.
From waterlogged trenches to memories that follow soldiers home, the poem asks us to remember more than the fallen. Behind the uniforms are young lives, grieving parents and survivors still carrying the weight of what they endured.
Only Eighteen
By Poeta De Cabra
Today they’re men, yesterday they were boys
Couple of years ago they still played with toys
Dressed in uniform, with boots, rifle and canteen
Some even lied, bumped up their age to eighteen
Off to foreign country, fight a war in a different land
They never asked why and I doubt they’d understand
Was told it was his duty, that his country needed him
Thank you soldier for the freedom, that we still live in
Each Memorial Day we remember and thank the fallen
Fought and died in conditions, nothing short of appalling
Blown up, stabbed or shot by an enemy sometimes unseen
Most not even old enough to vote yet, some only eighteen
Holed out in trenches full of water, cold and soaking wet
Getting killed by grenades, bullets or perhaps a bayonet
Perhaps those who died were lucky, some survivors curse
They bring back memories and for most, that’s even worse
Country is proud and so are their families, of what they did
But no parents ever want to visit the grave of their own kid
So many get injured and die throughout each miserable war
Soldiers, innocent women and children, and what the hell for
Come Memorial Day, we should all bow down in prayer
Pray not just for the dead, but also, the survivors welfare
We as a country owe these soldiers, tis one hell of a debt
It should not and will not be forgotten, and, Lest We Forget
Keeping The Verse Alive
Only Eighteen is shared with permission from Poeta De Cabra through Keeping The Verse Alive, Country Campfire’s bush poetry preservation project.
By preserving poems like this, we’re helping ensure the stories, humour and characters of country Australia continue to be enjoyed for generations to come.
Poeta De Cabra
Rhyming Poet • Writer • Author
Writing as Poeta De Cabra, this Geelong-based poet follows feelings, ideas and prompts into rhyming verse on many subjects. Originally from Naracoorte, he has been writing for years and released Almanac Of A Wayward Goat in 2026. His Country Campfire page gathers his poems in one place as the collection grows.
Poems, recitals, photographs, stories and original works remain the property of their original creator and are shared by Country Campfire with permission.
