POETRY

Lake County Press, Issue 2698, 6 September 1917, Page 2

POETRY

A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAD. In tin- fitful firelight flicker, Anti the embers glowing red. Dreamed I of the plains of Flanders With their'trenches, with their dead. Heard the rifle bullet whistle, Heard the devastating shell Scream its message of destruction (Serve they both God Moloch well.) Came the cold grey light of morning. Came the fulgent light of noon. White the winter sun was setting There arose a crescent moon. Came a stir within the trenches (Ah! the setting sun went red!) Up and over soldiers charging, See them falling, see them dead. Short the twilight—came the darkness, Calmly shone the crescent moon. Suddenly the sky grew brighter As- a misty sun at noon. »Pale the moon- shone, paler ever Since on earth its light it shed

In the strange, mysterious halo Lighting on the noble dead. Then I saw the dead arising— Von, our dead rise one by one— Silently they came before me, (Happy they their duty done.) This the message that they gave me Ere they journeyed (Ah! too soon!) Into the resplendent shining, Brighter now than sun at noon. ‘’Ve who walk among the living, Tell our mothers, sweethearts, wives, We, who foil here, died content here, Gladly laid we down our lives. ‘ Ere we pass into the silence. List the message thee we tell. We have gained the Life Eternal; Hail to thee, and fare thee well!” Then the vision strange, it faded, Came the dream-light, softly shed By the fitful firelight flicker And the embers glowing red. J. MOFFAT.