Soldiers are citizens of death’s gray land,
Drawing no dividend from time’s to-morrows.
In the great hour of destiny they stand,
Each with his feuds, and jealousies, and sorrows.
Soldiers are sworn to action; they must win
Some flaming, fatal climax with their lives.
Soldiers are dreamers; when the guns begin
They think of firelit homes, clean beds, and wives.
I see them in foul dug-outs, gnawed by rats,
And in the ruined trenches, lashed with rain,
Dreaming of things they did with balls and bats,
And mocked by hopeless longing to regain
Bank-holidays, and picture shows, and spats,
And going to the office in the train.
(Siegfried Sassoon)
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Based on Topics: Death & Dying Poems, Fate & Destiny Poems, Soldiers Poems, Dreaming Poems, Actions Poems, Drawing & Painting PoemsBased on Keywords: gnawed, to-morrows, climax, jealousies, feuds, spats, firelit, dividend, dug-outs, bank-holidays