This poem by Wullie Purcell of Paisley, again seems slightly political, inevitable perhaps in the present climate, as he gives us the thoughts of a young  solider drawn into the army by the TV ads, and how different the reality is from the enticement. This poem was read at the Open Poetry day at the Heart of the Travelling People above Loch Fyne, at an event in May. The poem will also appear in the next issue of Poetry Scotland along with other poems from the Open Poetry Day.

Wullie is well kent on the poetry scene. He is a director of the website Writing Raw and an ex fireman. He writes stories and plays folk music and songs on his guitar, and has written other poems on the subject of war.

Nae Drum is Rattled
by Wullie Purcell

Nae drum is rattled, nae shillin is paid
But the ad oan the telly said ma future is made

The uniforms drab, nae longer bright red
But it luks really cool, well that's what they said

Ah'll learn a trade, hou tae haunle a gan
"C'mon mate.get signing, we're aw having fun.

Jist look at the advert and jine up the noo
Hear whit Ah'm sayin, Ah'm tellin ye true

Ye'll travel a'ower, see different lands,
And while yer there, ye'll have time oan yer hands."

The money is brilliant, that worry's past
So Ah signed oan the line, and the die it was cast

So noo I am sitting, surrounded by sand,
jist like they promsied, in a far distant land

It's no quite a beach, we huvnae got drinks
They're blawin up hooses, an the air, well it stinks

It's a smell made by bullets an missiles an stuff
But it's aw the deid bodies that make it sae rough.

It's a pity yer advert didnae talk aboot killin
The life that ye promised is no sae fulfilling.