Twenty Tons of T.N.T.

I have seen it estimated Somewhere between death and birth There are now three thousand million People living on this earth And the stock-piled mass destruction Of the nuclear powers that be Equals for each man or woman Twenty tons of TNT. Every man of every nation Twenty tons of TNT Shall receive this allocation Twenty tons of TNT Texan, Bantu, Slav or Maori Argentine or Singhali Every maiden brings this dowry Twenty tons of TNT. Not for the thirty silver shilling Twenty tons of TNT Twenty thousand pounds of killing Twenty tons of TNT Twenty hundred years of teaching Give to each his legacy Plato, Buddha, Christ or Lenin Twenty tons of TNT. Father, mother, son and daughter Give us land and seed and water Children have no need of sharing At each new nativity Come the ghostly Magi bearing Twenty tons of TNT. Ends the tale that has no sequel Twenty tons of TNT Now in death are all men equal Twenty tons of TNT Teach me how to love my neighbour Do to him as he to me Share the fruits of all our labour Twenty tons of TNT.