But now--tonight-- No, no; it's right; I never had a righter thing To bear. And men must fling Themselves away in the grieving sight Of right.
A handsome boy--but I, who knew His spirit--well, they cannot mar The cleanness of a star That'll shine to me, always and true, Who knew.
I've given him. Yes; and had I more, I'd give them too--for there's a love That asking, asks above The human measure of our store-- And more.
Yes; it hurts! Here in the dark, alone-- No one to see my wet old eyes-- I'll watch the morning rise-- And only God shall hear my groan Alone.
I have a son who goes to France Tomorrow. I have clasped his hand-- Most men will understand-- And wished him, smiling, lucky chance In France.
[H] From "In Flanders Fields," by Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, courtesy of G. P. Putnam's Sons, publishers.
In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly, Scarce heard amidst the guns below.
We are the dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved; and now we lie In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe! To you from failing hands we throw The torch. Be yours to hold it high! If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.
Rest ye in peace, ye Flanders dead. The fight that ye so bravely led We've taken up. And we will keep True faith with you who lie asleep, With each a cross to mark his bed, And poppies blowing overhead, Where once his own life blood ran red. So let your rest be sweet and deep In Flanders fields.
Fear not that ye have died for naught. The torch ye threw to us we caught. Ten million hands will hold it high, And freedom's light shall never die! We've learned the lesson that ye taught In Flanders fields.
It is a fearful thing to lead this great, peaceful people into war, into the most terrible and disastrous of all wars, civilization itself seeming to be in the balance. But the right is more precious than peace, and we shall fight for the things which we have always carried nearest our hearts--for democracy, for the right of those who submit to authority to have a voice in their own governments, for the rights and liberties of small nations, for a universal dominion of right by such a concert of free peoples as shall bring peace and safety to all nations and make the world itself at last free.