Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, BOOTS, by RUDYARD KIPLING


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

BOOTS, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: We're foot - slog - slog - sloggin' over africa
Last Line: An' there's no discharge in the war!
Subject(s): Army Life; Great Britain - Commonwealth & Colonies; Patriotism; War; Drills & Minor Tactics; British Empire; England - Empire


(Infantry Columns)

WE'RE FOOT -- slog -- slog -- slog -- sloggin' over Africa,
Foot -- foot -- foot -- foot -- sloggin' over Africa --
(Boots -- boots -- boots -- boots -- movin' up and down again!)
There's no discharge in the war!

Seven -- six -- eleven -- five -- nine-an'-twenty mile to-day --
Four -- eleven -- seventeen -- thirty-two the day before --
(Boots -- boots -- boots -- boots -- movin' up and down again!)
There's no discharge in the war!

Don't -- don't -- don't -- don't -- look at what's in front of you.
(Boots -- boots -- boots -- boots -- movin' up an' down again),
Men -- men -- men -- men -- men go mad with watchin' 'em,
An' there's no discharge in the war!

Try -- try -- try -- try -- to think o' something different --
Oh -- my -- God -- keep -- me from goin' lunatic!
(Boots -- boots -- boots -- boots -- movin' up an' down again!)
There's no discharge in the war!

Count -- count -- count -- count -- the bullets in the bandoliers.
If -- your -- eyes -- drop -- they will get atop o' you.
(Boots -- boots -- boots -- boots -- movin' up and down again) --
There's no discharge in the war!

We -- can -- stick -- out -- 'unger, thirst, an' weariness,
But -- not -- not -- not -- not the chronic sight of 'em --
Boots -- boots -- boots -- boots -- movin' up an' down again,
An' there's no discharge in the war!

'Tain't -- so -- bad -- by -- day because o' company,
But -- night -- brings -- long -- strings -- o' forty thousand million
Boots -- boots -- boots -- boots -- movin' up an' down again.
There's no discharge in the war!

I -- 'ave -- marched -- six -- weeks in 'Ell an' certify
It -- is -- not -- fire -- devils -- dark or anything,
But boots -- boots -- boots -- boots -- movin' up an' down again,
An' there's no discharge in the war!





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