No longer fire streams from the ranks of the foeman –
Their broken battalions have fled in dismay
The cannons hoarse thunders are hurled in silence,
And the sulphurous war cloud is rolling away;
The victors scarce knew that the battle was theirs,
But now the glad tidings each warrior divines;
From right, left and centre comes strains of sweet music,
And a mighty cheer bursts from their silent grim lines.
On a part of the field where the conflict was fiercest,
‘Mong the debris of strife and the heaps of the slain.
Lies a young Northern boy who is wounded and dying –
His frank handsome face is distorted in pain!
See! Fast from his bosom the life-tide is ebbing,
His white lips are moving in penitent prayer
His hands firmly close o’er a time sullied portrait,
At his side is the flag he will never more bear.
He smiles, faintly smiles, on his sorrowing comrades,
When the surgeon is called that his wound may be dressed,
And murmurs, “Tis useless, I know it is useless,
Pray let me lie still and I’ll soon be at rest!
But, comrades remember forever this parting,
This dread scene of gore, and this coarse covered sod,”
He gasped, as his spirit was freed from the casket,
Be true to the FALLEN, YOUR COUNTRY and GOD!
(Joseph Warren Watson)
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Based on Topics: God Poems, Time Poems, War & Peace Poems, Faces Poems, Youth Poems, Pain Poems, Smiling Poems, Silence Poems, Lies & Deceit Poems, Music PoemsBased on Keywords: life-tide