Ghosts of war by Tom Sharp

Parents, wives, and children stood by and saw their men off to war. The wagons raised so much dust that no one could see them past the bridge. Some marched north to defend the river; some marched west to farm for the army. When they left their hair was black; if they’re alive now, their hair is white. Even though women went out with hoes, weeds took over the fields. Thousands of villages were abandoned. People didn’t want to have sons because they would be arrested and sent to die at the front. The bones piled up with no one to bury them. The dead grieved along with the living.

兵车行 by 杜甫 (Du Fu)

车辚辚，马萧萧，行人弓箭各在腰。耶娘妻子走相送，尘埃不见咸阳桥。牵衣顿足拦道哭，哭声直上干云霄。道傍过者问行人，行人但云点行频。或从十五北防河，便至四十西营田。去时里正与裹头，归来头白还戍边。边庭流血成海水，武皇开边意未已。君不闻汉家山东二百州，千村万落生荆杞。纵有健妇把锄犁，禾生陇亩无东西。况复秦兵耐苦战，被驱不异犬与鸡。长者虽有问，役夫敢申恨？且如今年冬，未休关西卒。县官急索租，租税从何出？信知生男恶，反是生女好。生女犹得嫁比邻，生男埋没随百草。君不见，青海头，古来白骨无人收。新鬼烦冤旧鬼哭，天阴雨湿声啾啾！