DERELICT OF THE WAR.

Auckland Star, Volume 55, Issue 22, 26 January 1924, Page 17

DERELICT OF THE WAR.

THE NEDBASTHENIC. Serving the King and God ; within the fields of Flanders and the plains of France, where tortured bodies fell and souls were shattered: abashed by souiid of gun and crash of shell. Assailed and shocked by smell of fetid things and blood; appalled, indeed, yet constant Alike to old tradition, to oath and cause and task, I held my place, until One greater crash, and then for mc, just ■whirling, helpless darkness. Goa and the King were served, ana I was dead. Dead? No. not dead, but wrecked and broken : manhood and mind unstrung: Alive? Ah yes—but weak and halting equally in trill, in faith, in hope. ■Too prone to tears, too frail again to pit myself against the world : Inconstant in my moods, holding myself in Borrow and in sore contempt, And dreadin™, as one dreads the ffame, the Who did not stand within the field, or standing, felt no blast, eudured no lasting hurt. And now—God shield my nerves and hold my soul until I stand within that other place Which harbours; neither fire nor sword nor blood nor death, nor beedless pity ; But only peace and calm and lisiit and strength and—perfect understanding. . „- . —W. A. ATPLEIOM. U "London Spectator.".