Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, RED APPLES, by KARL E. MUNDT



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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

RED APPLES, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: He tries to sell red apples in the street
Last Line: Cannot remember belleau wood.
Subject(s): Apples; Belleau Wood, France; Fruit; Social Problems; Soldiers; Unemployment; War


He tries to sell red apples in the street,
His wornout khaki coat pulled tight
To shield him from the wind.
"No work," they told him at the shop.
"No work." The words beat dull upon his brain.
Short years ago they had not told him that
When he had marched down this same street
With others of his kind.
They cheered him then with words of "Carry On,"
With flag, and drum, and song.
But now the words have changed.

The apples in his box are red,
Red as the blood of comrades he had seen
Grow limp before his eyes. Well—he must carry on.
But people do not buy his apples in the street.
A world that has forgotten Calvary
Cannot remember Belleau Wood.





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