POETRY OLD AND NEW.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16213, 26 April 1916, Page 9

POETRY OLD AND NEW.

OUR SONS. Ever foremost in the fight. Giving Ufa to aid the right Dying curbing Prussian might Arc- our sons. From tho East and West they came, Nor to honour, wealth, or fame, But to guard their homos from sham* And the Huns, Quickly cam© and fought so well, a Braving bullet, fire, and shell, Nobly dying facing hell And the Huns. In the valley, on tho hill, Some aro lying calm and still. Never more shall bugle shrill Wake our sons. Somo arc resting 'neath the waves In tho ocean's rocky caves. In their dark and silent graves Sleep our sons. And tho sen that was their doom With its restless sullen boom, Chants a requiem o'er the tomb Of our sons. Soon their little race was run, Soon the fates their web,have spun; Let us say, " God's will bo done," Farewell, sons. -W.C.B. THE QUESTION. Is it 'cause we'ro simply soldier:!, Or strangers, in this land That those "Gynliaus" swarm around ui Liko specks of desert sand?, From first thing in tho morning It's the one incessant cry: Egyptian Times, Egyptian Mail. They pester you to buy.. It's " Eggs are cook or oringees, You buy 'em. cigarletlo?" They really are tho greatest coonß That I have ever met. . When you stroll around sight-seeing Along the different routes A crowd of kids nursuc you, Shouting, "Mister, clean it boots/ When you sit down for a whisky To put you in good mood, There s a whisper at your elbow, "Buy 'em, postcard, very gi,od? You clear away a-cursing, But you're soon bailed up outside With 'Mister, you go Pyramid? You want 'em donkey ride?" You pay a cabby twice his faro And safely dodge the police, The cabman whispers in your ear. "Mister, give it, baksheesh?' Just send a mob of " 'Gyptiana " Across to Kaiser Bill, If they don't drive him off his nut I guess there's nothing will. ! —A Member of th© N.Z. Engineers, I at Cairo.

AND THEN THERE'LL BE NONE." Ten little colonics far beyond the Rhine, New Zealand got Samoa whacked, and then there were nine.

Nine little colonics singing hyms of hate; Gorman New Guinea fell, and then there wero eight.

Eight bttlo colonies praying hard to Heaven, The Bismarck Archipelago was baggedleaving seven-

Seven little colonies up to German tricks, Australia lseized tho_ Marshall Isles, and then thero were six.

Sir little colonies trying to keep alive. Kaiser Wilhelm's Land changed hands, and then there were five.

Five little colonies for help began to roar. Japan smashed up Kiao-Chau, and- then there were four. Four little colonics wore left beyond the

But Franco and we took Togoland. and then there were .urce. Three little colonies the German colours And so' wo captured Cameroon, and then there were two. Two little colonics from Botha tried to run, Until South-West Africa was caught-leav-ing one. One little colony remaineth to the Hun, But General Smuts will soon have that, and then there'll be none! -WVa.N.. in the Evening N«w«.