In studying World War I, what shocked me the most initially was the mind-set of those soldiers at the outbreak of war: joyful and celebratory; to some extent I found similar sentiments in those fighting and writing in the crusades and so based my poem around this idea.
I tried to create something of a picturesque and perfect beginning to the poem - not dissimilar to a nursery rhyme - with the image of this trio of knights riding off to war. Gradually I wanted the realisation to arrive that war is never picturesque or something to be proud of, whilst interweaving images of the first world war to make the point that all wars are the same in this regard, irrespective of period or place. (Dan Shailer)