I’ve tinkered at my bits of rhymes In weary, woeful, waiting times; In doleful hours of battle—din, Ere yet they brought the wounded in; Through vigils of the fateful night,
(France, August first, 1914) Far and near, high and clear, Hark to the call of War! Over the gorse and the golden dells, Ringing and swinging of clamorous bells,
“But it isn’t playing the game,” he said… And he slammed his books away; “The Latin and Greek I’ve got in my he… Will do for a duller day.” “Rubbish!” I cried; “The bugle’s call
Sez I: My Country calls? Well, let it… I grins perlitely and declines wiv thank… Go, let ‘em plaster every blighted wall, ’Ere’s ONE they don’t stampede into th… Them politicians with their greasy ways;
. . . So I walked among the willows ver… There was no moon at all, at all; no tim… There was no light at all, at all; I wi… And I called him as his mother called,… Oh I called him all the night—time, as…
Oh the wife she tried to tell me that ‘t… Of a wood—pecker a—rapping on the hollow… And she thought that I was fooling when… Of the mustering of legions, and ’twas c… ‘Twas calling me to pull my freight and…
Tramp, tramp, the grim road, the road fr… (I’ve 'ammered out this ditty with me br… Tramp, tramp, the dim road—we didn’t ‘av… And bellies that was ’oller was the drum… Tramp, tramp, the bad road, the bits o’…
“Hae ye heard whit ma auld mither’s post… It fair maks me hamesick,” says Private… “And whit did she send ye?” says Privat… As he cockit his rifle and bleezed at a… “A haggis! A Haggis!” says Private Mc…
From wrath—red dawn to wrath—red dawn, The guns have brayed without abate; And now the sick sun looks upon The bleared, blood—boltered fields of ha… As if it loathed to rise again.
Me and Ed and a stretcher Out on the nootral ground. (If there’s one dead corpse, I’ll betch… There’s a 'undred smellin’ around.) Me and Eddie O’Brian,
It isn’t the foe that we fear; It isn’t the bullets that whine; It isn’t the business career Of a shell, or the bust of a mine; It isn’t the snipers who seek
Oh, weren’t they the fine boys! You nev… Singing all together with their throats… Fighting—fit and mirth—mad, music in the… Swinging on to glory and the wrath out t… Laughing by and chaffing by, frolic in t…
(The Wounded Canadian Speaks) My leg? It’s off at the knee. Do I miss it? Well, some. You see I’ve had it since I was born; And lately a devilish corn.
When your marrer bone seems 'oller, And you’re glad you ain’t no taller, And you’re all a—shakin’ like you 'ad th… When your skin creeps like a pullet’s, And you’re duckin’ all the bullets,
“Flowers, only flowers—bring me dainty p… Blossoms for forgetfulness,” that was al… So we sacked our gardens, violets and ro… Lilies white and bluebells laid we on hi… Soft his pale hands touched them, tender…
I’ve been sittin’ starin’, starin’ at 'i… And tryin’ to convince meself it’s 'im. (Look out there, lad! That sniper—'e’s… ’E’ll be layin’ of you out the same as… Jim as lies there in the dug—out wiv ‘is…
There’s a drip of honeysuckle in the dee… There’s old Martin jogging homeward on… There are cherry petals falling, and a c… And a score of larks (God bless 'em) .… For you see I am not really there at al…
“Where are you going, Young Fellow My… On this glittering morn of May?” “I’m going to join the Colours, Dad; They’re looking for men, they say.” “But you’re only a boy, Young Fellow M…
No, Bill, I’m not a—spooning out no pat… (The cove be’ind the sandbags ain’t a de… And though I strafes ‘em good and ’ard… I guess they’re mostly decent, just the… I guess they loves their 'omes and kids…
O God, take the sun from the sky! It’s burning me, scorching me up. God, can’t You hear my cry? Water! A poor, little cup! It’s laughing, the cursed sun!
I’m gatherin’ flowers by the wayside to… I’ve sneaked away from the billet, 'caus… ‘E’d call me a silly fat’ead, and larf t… To see me ’ere in the cornfield, wiv a b… For Jim and me we are rough uns, but Bi…
Oh ye whose hearts are resonant, and rin… Hear ye the story of a boy, a peasant bo… A lad uncouth and warped with toil, yet… Could feel within his soul upleap and so… Could stand upright, and scorn and smite…
I’m goin’ 'ome to Blighty—ain’t I glad… I’m loaded up wiv fightin’, and I’ve 'a… I’m feelin’ so excited—like, I want to… For I’m goin’ 'ome to Blighty in the ma… I’m goin’ 'ome to Blighty: can you wond…
When a girl’s sixteen, and as poor as sh… And she hasn’t a friend and she hasn’t a… Heigh—ho! She’s as safe in Paris city As a lamb night—strayed where the wild w… And that was I; oh, it’s seven years no…
When first I left Blighty they gave me… And told me it ‘ad to be smothered wiv g… But blimey! I ’aven’t been able to stai… So far as I’ve gone wiv the vintage of… For ain’t it a fraud! when a Boche and…
It’s easy to fight when everything’s rig… And you’re mad with the thrill and the g… It’s easy to cheer when victory’s near, And wallow in fields that are gory. It’s a different song when everything’s…
All day long when the shells sail over I stand at the sandbags and take my chan… But at night, at night I’m a reckless r… And over the parapet gleams Romance. Romance! Romance! How I’ve dreamed it,…
You want me to tell you a story, a yarn… Of our thin red kharki 'eroes, out there… Out there where the bombs are bustin’, and the cannons like 'ell—doors slam— Just order another drink, boys, and I’l…
We brought him in from between the lines… For what’s the use of risking one’s skin… What’s the use of tearing him loose unde… When he’s shot in the head, and worse th… However, I say, we brought him in. Diab…
For oh, when the war will be over We’ll go and we’ll look for our dead; We’ll go when the bee’s on the clover, And the plume of the poppy is red: We’ll go when the year’s at its gayest,
We was in a crump—'ole, 'im and me; Fightin’ wiv our bayonets was we; Fightin’ ‘ard as ’ell we was, Fightin’ fierce as fire because It was ‘im or me as must be downed;
Poppies, you try to tell me, glowing the… Poppies! Ah no! You mock me: It’s bloo… It’s gleaming wet in the grasses; it’s g… It dabbles the ferns and the clover; it… It leaps to the startled heavens; it smo…
You make it in your mess—tin by the braz… You watch it cloud, then settle amber cl… You lift it with your bay’nit, and you s… The very breath of it is ripe with cheer… You’re awful cold and dirty, and a—cursi…
The same old sprint in the morning, boys… Chained all day to the same old desk, do… Posting the same old greasy books, catch… Oh, how will I manage to stick it all,… We’ve bidden good—bye to life in a cage,…
And so when he reached my bed The General made a stand: “My brave young fellow,” he said, “I would shake your hand.” So I lifted my arm, the right,
He hurried away, young heart of joy, und… And I watched him go, my beautiful boy,… For my hair is grey, and his was gold; h… And I’d loved him so, and I’m old, I’m… Ah yes, he was proud and swift and gay,…
Humping it here in the dug—out, Sucking me black dudeen, I’d like to say in a general way, There’s nothing like Nickyteen; There’s nothing like Nickyteen, me boys…
(The French “Tommy”). Oh, some of us lolled in the chateau, And some of us slinked in the slum; But now we are here with a song and a ch… To serve at the sign of the drum.
The poppies gleamed like bloody pools th… The Captain kept a—lookin’ at the watch… And there we smoked and squatted, as we… ’Twas wonnerful, I’m tellin’ you, how f… ’Twas weary work the waiting, though; I…
You may talk o’ your lutes and your dulc… Your harps and your tabors and cymbals a… But here in the trenches jist gie me for… The wee penny whistle o’ Sandy McGraw. Oh, it’s: “Sandy, ma lad, will you lilt…
My stretcher is one scarlet stain, And as I tries to scrape it clean, I tell you wot—I’m sick with pain For all I’ve 'eard, for all I’ve seen; Around me is the 'ellish night,
Is it not strange? A year ago to—day, With scarce a thought beyond the hum—dru… I did my decent job and earned my pay; Was averagely happy, I’ll be bound. Ay, in my little groove I was content,
Since all that is was ever bound to be; Since grim, eternal laws our Being bind… And both the riddle and the answer find, And both the carnage and the calm decree… Since plain within the Book of Destiny
‘Ave you seen Bill’s mug in the Noos to… ‘E’s gyned the Victoriar Cross, they sa… Little Bill wot would grizzle and run a… If you ‘it ’im a swipe on the jawr. ‘E’s slaughtered the Kaiser’s men in to…
Missis Moriarty called last week, and s… “Sure the heart of me’s broken entirely… You’ve still got your Dinnis to cheer u… Lyin’ alone, cold as a stone, kilt in th… Oh, I’m seein’ him now as I looked on h…
A Belgian Priest—Soldier Speaks; GURR! You cochon! Stand and fight! Show your mettle! Snarl and bite! Spawn of an accursed race, Turn and meet me face to face!
I’ve got a little job on 'and, the time… At seven by the Captain’s watch I’m due… I wants to 'ave it nice and neat, and pl… And I 'opes the God of soldier men will… Because, you see, it’s somethin’ I ‘ave…
What do they matter, our headlong hates,… Think ye our glory and gain will pay for… By the cheers of our Victory will the h… If by the Victory all we mean is a brok… Is the pomp and power of a glitt’ring ho…
There were two brothers, John and James… And when the town went up in flames, To save the house of James dashed John, Then turned, and lo! his own was gone. And when the great World War began,
Give me the scorn of the stars and a pea… Wail of the pines and a wind with the sh… Night and a trail unknown and a heart re… Give me to live and love in the old, bol… A soldier’s billet at night and a soldie…
As I was saying . . . (No, thank you;… Cows weren’t allowed in the trenches—got… As I was saying, our Colonel leaped up… “Come on, lads!” he shouts, “and we’ll s… Then some bally thing seemed to trip him…
I look into the aching womb of night; I look across the mist that masks the de… The moon is tired and gives but little l… The stars have gone to bed. The earth is sick and seems to breathe w…
My job is done; my rhymes are ranked and… My word-battalions marching verse by ver… Here stanza-companies are none too stead… There print-platoons are weak, but might… And as in marshalled order I review the…
