Fatherwouldsoonerhimdeadthanindisgrace，——

Wasproudtoseehimgoing，aye，andglad。

PerhapshisMotherwhimperedhowshe’dfretUntilhegotanice，safewoundtonurse。

Sisterswouldwishgirlstoocouldshoot，charge，curse，……

Brothers——wouldsendhisfavouritecigarette，Eachweek，monthaftermonth，theywrotethesame，ThinkinghimshelteredinsomeY。M。Hut，WhereonceanhourabulletmisseditsaimAndmissesteasedthehungerofhisbrain。

Hiseyesgrewoldwithwincing，andhishandRecklesswithague。Courageleaked，assandFromthebestsandbagsafteryearsofrain。

Butneverleave，wound，fever，trench—foot，shock，Untrappedthewretch。AnddeathseemedstillwithheldFortortureoflyingmachinallyshelled，Atthepleasureofthisworld’sPowerswho’drunamok。

He’dseenmenshoottheirhands，onnightpatrol，Theirpeopleneverknew。Yettheywerevile。

\"Deathsoonerthandishonour，that’sthestyle！\"

SoFathersaid。

Onedawn，ourwirepatrolCarriedhim。Thistime，Deathhadnotmissed。

Wecoulddonothing，butwipehisbleedingcough。

Coulditbeaccident？——Riflesgooff……

Notsniped？No。（LatertheyfoundtheEnglishball。）

Itwasthereasonedcrisisofhissoul。

AgainstthefiresthatwouldnotburnhimwholeButkepthimfordeath’sperjuryandscoffAndlife’shalf—promising，andboththeirriling。

Withhimtheyburiedthemuzzlehisteethhadkissed，AndtruthfullywrotetheMother\"Timdiedsmiling。\"

FutilityMovehimintothesun——

Gentlyitstouchawokehimonce，Athome，whisperingoffieldsunsown。

Alwaysitwokehim，eveninFrance，Untilthismorningandthissnow。

IfanythingmightrousehimnowThekindoldsunwillknow。

Thinkhowitwakestheseeds——

Woke，once，theclaysofacoldstar。

Arelimbssodear—achieved，aresidesFull—nerved，——stillwarm，——toohardtostir？

Wasitforthistheclaygrewtall？

——OwhatmadefatuoussunbeamstoilTobreakearth’ssleepatall？

Smile，Smile，SmileHeadtolimphead，thesunk—eyedwoundedscannedYesterday’sMail；thecasualties（typedsmall）

And（large）VastBootyfromourLatestHaul。

Also，theyreadofCheapHomes，notyetplanned；

For，saidthepaper，\"WhenthiswarisdoneThemen’sfirstinstinctwillbemakinghomes。

Meanwhiletheirforemostneedisaerodromes，Itbeingcertainwarhasjustbegun。

Peacewoulddowrongtoourundyingdead，——

ThesonsweofferedmightregrettheydiedIfwegotnothinglastingintheirstead。

Wemustbesolidlyindemnified。

ThoughallbeworthyVictorywhichallbought，WerulerssittinginthisancientspotWouldwrongourveryselvesifweforgotThegreatestglorywillbetheirswhofought，Whokeptthisnationinintegrity。\"

Nation？——Thehalf—limbedreadersdidnotchafeButsmiledatoneanothercuriouslyLikesecretmenwhoknowtheirsecretsafe。

Thisisthethingtheyknowandneverspeak，ThatEnglandonebyonehadfledtoFrance（NotmanyelsewherenowsaveunderFrance）。

Picturesofthesebroadsmilesappeareachweek，AndpeopleinwhosevoicerealfeelingringsSay：Howtheysmile！They’rehappynow，poorthings。

~23rdSeptember~1918。

ConsciousHisfingerswake，andflutterupthebed。

Hiseyescomeopenwithapullofwill，Helpedbytheyellowmay—flowersbyhishead。

Ablind—corddrawlsacrossthewindow—sill……

Howsmooththefloorofthewardis！whatarug！

Andwho’sthattalking，somewhereoutofsight？

Whyaretheylaughing？What’sinsidethatjug？

\"Nurse！Doctor！\"\"Yes；allright，allright。\"

Butsuddenduskbewildersalltheair——

Thereseemsnotimetowantadrinkofwater。

Nurselookssofaraway。AndeverywhereMusicandrosesburntthroughcrimsonslaughter。

Cold；cold；he’scold；andyetsohot：

Andthere’snolighttoseethevoicesby——

Notimetodream，andask——heknowsnotwhat。

ATerre（~BeingthephilosophyofmanySoldiers。~）

Sitonthebed；I’mblind，andthreepartsshell，Becareful；can’tshakehandsnow；nevershall。

Botharmshavemutiniedagainstme——brutes。

Myfingersfidgetliketenidlebrats。

Itriedtopegoutsoldierly——nouse！

Onediesofwarlikeanyolddisease。

Thisbandagefeelslikepenniesonmyeyes。

Ihavemymedals？——Discstomakeeyesclose。

Mygloriousribbons？——RippedfrommyownbackInscarletshreds。（That’sforyourpoetrybook。）

Ashortlifeandamerryone，mybrick！

Weusedtosaywe’dhatetolivedeadold，——

Yetnow……I’dwillinglybepuffy，bald，Andpatriotic。BufferscatchfromboysAtleastthejokeshurledatthem。IsupposeLittleI’deverteachason，buthitting，Shooting，war，hunting，alltheartsofhurting。

Well，that’swhatIlearnt，——that，andmakingmoney。

Yourfiftyyearsaheadseemnonetoomany？

TellmehowlongI’vegot？God！ForoneyearTohelpmyselftonothingmorethanair！

OneSpring！Isonetoogoodtospare，toolong？

Springwindwouldworkitsownwaytomylung，Andgrowmelegsasquickaslilac—shoots。

Myservant’slamed，butlistenhowheshouts！

WhenI’mluggedout，he’llstillbegoodforthat。

Hereinthismummy—case，youknow，I’vethoughtHowwellImighthaveswepthisfloorsforever，I’dasknonightoffwhenthebustle’sover，Enjoyingsothedirt。Who’sprejudicedAgainstagrimedhandwhenhisown’squitedust，Lesslivethanspecksthatinthesun—shaftsturn，Lesswarmthandustthatmixeswitharms’tan？

I’dlovetobeasweep，now，blackasTown，Yes，oramuckman。MustIbehisload？

OLife，Life，letmebreathe，——adug—outrat！

Notworsethanourstheexistencesratslead——

Nosingalongatnightdownsomesafevat，Theyfindashell—proofhomebeforetheyrot。

Deadmenmayenvylivingmitesincheese，Orgoodgermseven。Microbeshavetheirjoys，Andsubdivide，andnevercometodeath，Certainlyflowershavetheeasiesttimeonearth。

\"Ishallbeonewithnature，herb，andstone。\"

Shelleywouldtellme。Shelleywouldbestunned；

ThedullestTommyhugsthatfancynow。

\"Pushingupdaisies，\"istheircreed，youknow。

Tograin，then，gomyfat，tobudsmysap，Foralltheusefulnessthereisinsoap。

D’youthinktheBochewilleverstewman—soup？

Someday，nodoubt，if……

Friend，beverysureIshallbebetteroffwithplantsthatshareMorepeaceablythemeadowandtheshower。

Softrainswilltouchme，——astheycouldtouchonce，Andnothingbutthesunshallmakemeware。

Yourgunsmaycrasharoundme。I’llnothear；

Or，ifIwince，IshallnotknowIwince。

Don’ttakemysoul’spoorcomfortforyourjest。

Soldiersmaygrowasoulwhenturnedtofronds，Butherethething’sbestleftathomewithfriends。

Mysoul’salittlegrief，grapplingyourchest，Toclimbyourthroatonsobs；easilychasedOnothersighsandwipedbyfresherwinds。

Carrymycryingspirittillit’sweanedTodowithoutwhatbloodremainedthesewounds。

WildwithallRegrets（Anotherversionof\"ATerre\"。）

ToSiegfriedSassoonMyarmshavemutiniedagainstme——brutes！

Myfingersfidgetliketenidlebrats，Myback’sbeenstiffforhours，damnedhours。

DeathnevergiveshissquadaStand—at—ease。

Ican’tread。There：it’snouse。Takeyourbook。

Ashortlifeandamerryone，mybuck！

Wesaidwe’dhatetogrowdeadold。Butnow，Nottoliveoldseemsawful：nottorenewMyboyhoodwithmyboys，andteach’emhitting，Shootingandhunting，——alltheartsofhurting！

——Well，that’swhatIlearnt。That，andmakingmoney。

Yourfiftyyearsinstoreseemnonetoomany；

ButI’vefiveminutes。God！ForjusttwoyearsTohelpmyselftothisgoodairofyours！

OneSpring！Isonetoohardtospare？Toolong？

Springairwouldfinditsownwaytomylung，Andgrowmelegsasquickaslilac—shoots。

Yes，there’stheorderly。He’llchangethesheetsWhenI’mluggedout，oh，couldn’tIdothat？

Hereinthiscoffinofabed，I’vethoughtI’dliketokneelandsweephisfloorsforever，——

Andasknonightsoffwhenthebustle’sover，ForI’denjoythedirt；who’sprejudicedAgainstagrimedhandwhenhisown’squitedust，——

Lesslivethanspecksthatinthesun—shaftsturn？

Deardust，——inrooms，onroads，onfaces’tan！

I’dlovetobeasweep’sboy，blackasTown；

Yes，oramuckman。MustIbehisload？

Afleawoulddo。Ifonechapwasn’tbloody，Orwentstone—cold，I’dfindanotherbody。

WhichIshan’tmanagenow。Unlessit’syours。

Ishallstayinyou，friend，forsomefewhours。

You’llfeelmyheavyspiritchillyourchest，Andclimbyourthroatonsobs，untilit’schasedOnsighs，andwipedfromoffyourlipsbywind。

Ithinkonyourrichbreathing，brother，I’llbeweanedTodowithoutwhatbloodremainedmefrommywound。

~5thDecember~1917。

DisabledHesatinawheeledchair，waitingfordark，Andshiveredinhisghastlysuitofgrey，Legless，sewnshortatelbow。ThroughtheparkVoicesofboysrangsaddeninglikeahymn，Voicesofplayandpleasureafterday，Tillgatheringsleephadmotheredthemfromhim。

AboutthistimeTownusedtoswingsogayWhenglow—lampsbuddedinthelight—bluetreesAndgirlsglancedlovelierastheairgrewdim，——Intheoldtimes，beforehethrewawayhisknees。

NowhewillneverfeelagainhowslimGirls’waistsare，orhowwarmtheirsubtlehands，Allofthemtouchhimlikesomequeerdisease。

Therewasanartistsillyforhisface，Foritwasyoungerthanhisyouth，lastyear。

Nowheisold；hisbackwillneverbrace；

He’slosthiscolourveryfarfromhere，Poureditdownshell—holestilltheveinsrandry，Andhalfhislifetimelapsedinthehotrace，Andleapofpurplespurtedfromhisthigh。

Onetimehelikedabloodsmeardownhisleg，Afterthematchescarriedshoulder—high。

Itwasafterfootball，whenhe’ddrunkapeg，Hethoughthe’dbetterjoin。Hewonderswhy……

Someonehadsaidhe’dlookagodinkilts。

That’swhy；andmaybe，too，topleasehisMeg，Aye，thatwasit，topleasethegiddyjilts，Heaskedtojoin。Hedidn’thavetobeg；

Smilingtheywrotehislie；agednineteenyears。

Germanshescarcelythoughtof；andnofearsOfFearcameyet。HethoughtofjewelledhiltsFordaggersinplaidsocks；ofsmartsalutes；

Andcareofarms；andleave；andpayarrears；

Espritdecorps；andhintsforyoungrecruits。

Andsoon，hewasdraftedoutwithdrumsandcheers。

Somecheeredhimhome，butnotascrowdscheerGoal。

OnlyasolemnmanwhobroughthimfruitsThankedhim；andtheninquiredabouthissoul。

Now，hewillspendafewsickyearsinInstitutes，Anddowhatthingstherulesconsiderwise，Andtakewhateverpitytheymaydole。

To—nighthenoticedhowthewomen’seyesPassedfromhimtothestrongmenthatwerewhole。

Howcoldandlateitis！Whydon’ttheycomeAndputhimintobed？Whydon’ttheycome？

TheEndAftertheblastoflightningfromtheeast，Theflourishofloudclouds，theChariotthrone，AfterthedrumsoftimehaverolledandceasedAndfromthebronzewestlongretreatisblown，ShallLiferenewthesebodies？OfatruthAlldeathwillheannul，alltearsassuage？

OrfillthesevoidveinsfullagainwithyouthAndwashwithanimmortalwaterage？

WhenIdoaskwhiteAge，hesaithnotso，——

\"Myheadhangsweighedwithsnow。\"

AndwhenIhearkentotheEarthshesaithMyfieryheartsinksaching。Itisdeath。

MineancientscarsshallnotbeglorifiedNormytitanictearstheseasbedried。\"