As The 100th Anniversary Of The Beginning of World War I (Remember The War To End All Wars) Starts ... Some Remembrances-Poet’s Corner

Robert Bridges

To the United States of America

Brothers in blood! They who this wrong began

To wreck our commonwealth, will rue the day

When first they challenged freemen to the fray,

And with the Briton dared the American.

Now are we pledged to win the Rights of man;

Labor and Justice now shall have their way,

And in a League of Peace--God grant we may--

Transform the earth, not patch up the old plan.

Sure is our hope since he who led your nation

Spake for mankind, and ye arose in awe

Of that high call to work the world's salvation;

Clearing your minds of all estranging blindness

In the vision of Beauty and the Spirit's law,

Freedom and Honor and sweet Loving kindness.

Henry Christopher Bradby

April 1918

You, whose forebodings have been all fulfilled,

You who have heard the bell, seen the boy stand

Holding the flimsy message in his hand

While through your heart the fiery question thrilled

"Wounded or killed, which, which?"--and it was "Killed--"

And in a kind of trance have read it, numb

But conscious that the dreaded hour was come,

No dream this dream wherewith your blood was chilled--

Oh brothers in calamity, unknown

Companions in the order of black loss,

Lift up your hearts, for your are not alone,

And let our sombre hosts together bring

Their sorrows to the shadow of the Cross

And learn the fellowship of suffering.