Een paar dagen geleden was het National Poetry Day in Engeland; De altijd interessante IWM - webstek Lives of the Forst World War bracht het gedicht 'A Munitions Girl's Thoughts'. Het werd geschreven door Gladys Quick (1893-1980) uit Manchester, een van de duizenden jonge vrouwen die tijdens de Grote Oorlog aan de slag waren in de Britse oorlogsindustrie.

There’s a dear little spot called England, / Where they wait in butter queues./ Also tea, sugar, beef and bacon, / Till it almost gives one the blues.

My Brother is a Soldier, The only one that I have got. / If I had twenty more like him, / I’d lend them all the lot. / My Sister is a Civil Clerk, Helping her Country too. / Sorting out the letters for Soldiers, Also the lads in Navy blue.

I’m just a munition worker, Toiling 8 hours a day./ Now we are being rationed out, We’ll have to take what comes our way./ I'm working my very hardest, And just going to test a shell. / If I'd 'Kaiser Bill' here for a minute, I'd just fire him off to h--- ‘