The Next War
Item
Title
The Next War
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Description
War's a joke for me and you,
While we know such dreams are true.
SIEGFRIED SASSOON
Out there, we walked, quite friendly up to Death, --
Sat down and ate beside him, cool and bland, --
Pardoned his spilling mess-tins in our hand.
We've sniffed the green thick odour of his breath, --
Our eyes wept, but our courage didn't writhe.
He's spat at us with bullets, and he's coughed
Shrapnel. We chorused if he sang aloft,
We whistled while he shaved us with his scythe.
Oh, Death was never enemy of ours!
We laughed at him, we leagued with him, old chum.
No soldier's paid to kick against His powers.
We laughed, -- knowing that better men would come,
And greater wars: when every fighter brags
He fights on Death, for lives; not men, for flags.
While we know such dreams are true.
SIEGFRIED SASSOON
Out there, we walked, quite friendly up to Death, --
Sat down and ate beside him, cool and bland, --
Pardoned his spilling mess-tins in our hand.
We've sniffed the green thick odour of his breath, --
Our eyes wept, but our courage didn't writhe.
He's spat at us with bullets, and he's coughed
Shrapnel. We chorused if he sang aloft,
We whistled while he shaved us with his scythe.
Oh, Death was never enemy of ours!
We laughed at him, we leagued with him, old chum.
No soldier's paid to kick against His powers.
We laughed, -- knowing that better men would come,
And greater wars: when every fighter brags
He fights on Death, for lives; not men, for flags.
Identifier
3335.txt
Creator
Owen, Wilfred (1893-1918)
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Date
1983
Date Created
1983-01-01
Temporal Coverage
1983-12-31
Type
Poem
Publisher
The First World War Poetry Digital Archive
