Rifleman's Prayer from Coup d'etat by Chris Gheran

God please make my enemies foolish
My friend’s divine. Keep my lover young
Days like these bring such power, such glory
That’s hard to see through the frozen mud.

My mind returns to London in summer
My little girl and my wife in the yard
But now the guns on the horizon are rumbling
I hear the sergeant, “Boys keep those eyes sharp,

And boys, get your rifles ready. Though our situation’s dire
Well keep your wits about you
Be ready when the order comes to fire, fire, fire.”

God please keep my hands steady
My actions clear and the plan in my mind
God please make the enemy soldier
A man of peace reluctant to fire.

God raise the dust clouds in their line of fire
And blow the gas back on their forward lines
Cut the wire and fill the trenches
So their machine guns have no where to hide

“And boys remember take no prisoners
I know you’re hungry and you’re tired
But keep your wits about you.
Have no mercy when the order comes to fire, fire, fire.”

My finger tightened on the trigger of my Ross
I saw the silhouette of an infantryman
Whoa hell fire boys don’t waiver now we finally have them
I saw them fall to their knees and cry

In the fire I heard the rifleman beside me
Screaming “Oh Lord they’re all hell-bound now.
I think I still see some breathing. We said ‘no mercy’ boys so the time is now.”

I sat stone-faced as I looked at their horror
One thousand miles to this field I had come
The dead soldier’s face is like looking in a mirror
In a field of 600 German infantry men
In a sea of 600 German infantry men.

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