This is no case of petty right or wrong
That politicians or philosophers
Can judge. I hate not Germans, nor grow hot
With love of Englishmen, to please newspapers.
Beside my hate for one fat patriot
My hatred of the Kaiser is love true:—
A kind of god he is, banging a gong.
But I have not to choose between the two,
Or between justice and injustice. Dinned
With war and argument I read no more
Than in the storm smoking along the wind
Athwart the wood. Two witches’ cauldrons roar.
From one the weather shall rise clear and gay;
Out of the other an England beautiful
And like her mother that died yesterday.
Little I know or care if, being dull,
I shall miss something that historians
Can rake out of the ashes when perchance
The phoenix broods serene above their ken.
But with the best and meanest Englishmen
I am one in crying, God save England, lest
We lose what never slaves and cattle blessed.
The ages made her that made us from dust:
She is all we know and live by, and we trust
She is good and must endure, loving her so:
And as we love ourselves we hate her foe.
(Edward Thomas)
More Poetry from Edward Thomas:
Edward Thomas Poems based on Topics: Weather, England, Cry, God, Law & Regulation, Justice, Philosophy- After Rain (Edward Thomas Poems)
- Lob (Edward Thomas Poems)
- The Other (Edward Thomas Poems)
- The Chalk-Pit (Edward Thomas Poems)
- Man and Dog (Edward Thomas Poems)
- Haymaking (Edward Thomas Poems)
Readers Who Like This Poem Also Like:
Based on Topics: God Poems, Cry Poems, Law & Regulation Poems, Weather Poems, England Poems, Justice Poems, Philosophy PoemsBased on Keywords: historians, banging, politicians, englishmen, dinned, cauldrons