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Item

Description

Three rompers run together, hand in hand.
The middle boy stops short, the others hurtle:
What bumps, what shrieks, what laughter turning turtle.
Love, racing between us two, has planned
A sudden mischief: shortly he will stand
And we shall shock. We cannot help but fall;
What matter? Why, it will not hurt at all,
Our youth is supple, and the world is sand.
Better our lips should bruise our eyes, than He,
Rude Love, out-run our breath; you pant, and I,
I cannot run much farther, mind that we
Both laugh with Love; and having tumbled, try
To go forever children, hand in hand.
The sea is rising ... and the world is sand.

Identifier

3374.txt

Creator

Owen, Wilfred (1893-1918)

Date

1916-05

Type

Poem

Publisher

The First World War Poetry Digital Archive

Source

The Complete Poems and Fragments of Wilfred Owen edited by Jon Stallworthy first published by Chatto & Windus, 1983.

(#11, CPF vol. 1, p. 114, vol. 2, p. 268)
BL 1.38v

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