I’d been on duty from two till four.
I went and stared at the dug-out door.
Down in the frowst I heard them snore.
‘Stand to!’ Somebody grunted and swore.
Dawn was misty; the skies were still;
Larks were singing, discordant, shrill;
They seemed happy; but I felt ill.
Deep in water I splashed my way
Up the trench to our bogged front line.
Rain had fallen the whole damned night.
O Jesus, send me a wound to-day,
And I’ll believe in Your bread and wine,
And get my bloody old sins washed white!
(Siegfried Sassoon)
More Poetry from Siegfried Sassoon:
Siegfried Sassoon Poems based on Topics: Night, Jesus Christ, Water, Happiness, Singing, Wine, Duty- "The rank stench of those bodies haunts me still" (Siegfried Sassoon Poems)
- Butterflies (Siegfried Sassoon Poems)
- Wirers (Siegfried Sassoon Poems)
- Dead Musicians (Siegfried Sassoon Poems)
- Before the Battle (Siegfried Sassoon Poems)
- Bombardment (Siegfried Sassoon Poems)
Readers Who Like This Poem Also Like:
Based on Topics: Night Poems, Happiness Poems, Jesus Christ Poems, Water Poems, Wine Poems, Singing Poems, Duty PoemsBased on Keywords: snore, dug-out, grunted, bogged, frowst
- Belphegor Addressed To Miss De Chammelay (Jean de La Fontaine Poems)
- The Pastoral, Or Lyric Muse Of Scotland. Canto Second (Hector MacNeill Poems)
- An Oriental Apologue (James Russell Lowell Poems)
- 'Look at The Clock!' : Patty Morgan The Milkmaid's Story (Richard Harris Barham Poems)
- Rachel (John Lawson Stoddard Poems)