IF God is thrilled by a battle cry, If He can bless the moaning fight, If, when the trampling charge goes by God Himself is the leading knight; If God laughs when the guns thunder, If He yells when the bullet sings -- Then, bewildered, I but wonder The God of Love can love such things! The white gulls wheeling over the plough, The sun, the reddening trees -- We, being enemies, I and thou -- There is no meaning in these. There is no flight on the wings of Spring, No scent in the summer rose, The roundelays that the blackbirds sing -- There is no meaning in those! If you must kill me -- why the lark, The hawthorn bud, and the corn? Why do the stars bedew the dark? Why is the blossom born? If I must kill you -- why the kiss Which made you? There is no why! If it be true we were born for this -- Merciless God, good-bye! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE SKELETON OF THE FUTURE; AT LENIN'S TOMB by CHRISTOPHER MURRAY GRIEVE AN ARCTIC VISION [JUNE 20, 1867] by FRANCIS BRET HARTE A BALLAD OF LONDON (TO H.W. MASSINGHAM) by RICHARD THOMAS LE GALLIENNE LYDIA (1) by LIZETTE WOODWORTH REESE SARGENT'S PORTRAIT OF EDWIN BOOTH AT THE PLAYERS by THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH MERCURY; ON LOSING MY POCKET MILTON AT LUSS NEAR BEN LOMOND by ROBERT ANDREWS |