He dropped, -- more sullenly than wearily, Lay stupid like a cod, heavy like meat, And none of us could kick him to his feet; Just blinked at my revolver, blearily; -- Didn't appear to know a war was on, Or see the blasted trench at which he stared. "I'll do 'em in," he whined, "If this hand's spared, I'll murder them, I will." A low voice said, "It's Blighty, p'raps, he sees; his pluck's all gone, Dreaming of all the valiant, that AREN'T dead: Bold uncles, smiling ministerially; Maybe his brave young wife, getting her fun In some new home, improved materially. It's not these stiffs have crazed him; nor the Hun." We sent him down at last, out of the way. Unwounded; -- stout lad, too, before that strafe. Malingering? Stretcher-bearers winked, "Not half!" Next day I heard the Doc.'s well-whiskied laugh: "That scum you sent last night soon died. Hooray!" | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE VOICE by WILFRID WILSON GIBSON ON GROWING OLD by JOHN MASEFIELD A WHITE NIGHT by MATHILDE BLIND TWILIGHT TIME by MILDRED SOUTHWORTH BRYAN THE WATER LILY by MARY FRANCES MARSHALL BUTTS THE DOLLAR SPEAKS TO THE YOUNG NEGRO (TO EDITOR I. WILLIS COLE) by JOSEPH SEAMON COTTER JR. |