Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, NO MAN'S LAND, by CHARLES LOUIS HENRY WAGNER


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

NO MAN'S LAND, by                    
First Line: I've never been on no man's land
Last Line: Their numbers are untold.
Subject(s): Courage; Honor; Sacrifices; Soldiers; War; Valor; Bravery


I've never been on No Man's Land,
I've never crossed the sea,
But Oh, I know that No Man's Land
Holds treasures dear to me,
I know that somewhere on its soil
The richest jewels lie,
And gold is there,—aye, gleaming gold
For which men strive and die.

I've heard men tell of No Man's Land,
How jewels have been found
By some of low estate, and some
Of high, upon its ground,
The jewels that I long for most,
And gold I fain would gain,
But poets write, and pens are weak,
For them to wish is vain.

I've asked the men from No Man's Land
The names of jewels there,
And what's the worth of yellow gold
That lies abundant there,
And this is what they've answered me,
They spake with bated breath,
The jewels, "Courage, Honor, Hope,
The price of gold is—Death."

I cannot go to No Man's Land,
But oh, my heart is there,
I know what men have sacrificed
To gain these treasures rare,
My inner eyes can see their souls
As shimmering mists of gold
Kissed by the sun on No Man's Land,
Their numbers are untold.





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