Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, A GAME OF BOWLS (WRITTEN DURING AN AIR RAID), by CAMILLA DOYLE


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

A GAME OF BOWLS (WRITTEN DURING AN AIR RAID), by                    
First Line: My body's crouched beneath a table shelter
Last Line: Reaches me still and keeps me unafraid.
Subject(s): Air Raids; Air Warfare; Games; Soldiers; Recreation; Pastimes; Amusements


My body's crouched beneath a "Table Shelter",
But my unhampered mind is far away;
My hands may quiver and my breathing falter
But still my memory watches men at play;
They played at bowls—I see the "woods" still rolling,
And hear the gentle clinking when they touch;
I see the friendly smiles that greet good bowling;
My shelter shakes, but I shan't mind too much
If only I can keep those bowlers playing
Just as they played last month, beside a wall
Of sunlit yellow stone—yes, they are staying,
I hear soft chimes, I hear a ringdove call,
And all the pleasure of the men who played
Reaches me still and keeps me unafraid.





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