(no subject)

[labellementeuse.livejournal.com]

Base Details

If I were fierce, and bald, and short of breath,
I’d live with scarlet Majors at the Base,
And speed glum heroes up the line to death.
You’d see me with my puffy petulant face,
Guzzling and gulping in the best hotel,
Reading the Roll of Honour. “Poor young chap,”
I’d say— "I used to know his father well;
Yes, we’ve lost heavily in this last scrap.”
And when the war is done and youth stone dead,
I’d toddle safely home and die—in bed.

--- Siegfried Sassoon

The General

"Good-morning; good-morning!" the General said
When we met him last week on our way to the line.
Now the soldiers he smiled at are most of ’em dead,
And we’re cursing his staff for incompetent swine.
"He’s a cheery old card," grunted Harry to Jack
As they slogged up to Arras with rifle and pack.

But he did for them both by his plan of attack.

--Siegfried Sassoon

Suicide in the Trenches

I knew a simple soldier boy
Who grinned at life in empty joy,
Slept soundly through the lonesome dark,
And whistled early with the lark.

In winter trenches, cowed and glum,
With crumps and lice and lack of rum,
He put a bullet through his brain.
No one spoke of him again.


You smug-faced crowds with kindling eye
Who cheer when soldier lads march by,
Sneak home and pray you'll never know
The hell where youth and laughter go.

--Siegfried Sassoon


Lest we forget.

Today is Armistice Day. Read some Wilfred Owen or some Siegfried Sassoon.

Comments

[embroiderama]

The General is a favorite of mine--thanks for posting these!

[labellementeuse.livejournal.com]

:) It seemed appropriate.

[miriamus.livejournal.com]

My baby!!

I want to sound smart here since we studied most of those last year but all I can say is I love the way they sound like nursery rhymes. Very ironic.

[labellementeuse.livejournal.com]

Heh, that was always my Big Dramatic Point in poetry essays: AND LOOK, they sound like NURSERY RHYMES, which is CREEPY and Sassoon is GOD so just give me a goddamn Excellence! (Which, generally, they did. Okay, I was a bit more compelling. :P)

[miriamus.livejournal.com]

I couldn't get the hang of writing about poetry :(

[lizblackdog.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I was going to post some Sassoon or Owen or Robert Graves if no one else did.

Might post some Robert Graves anyway, I have a thing about him.

[labellementeuse.livejournal.com]

I didn't think I'd be the only one who thought of doing something like this. :) Thanks!