When There is Peace

Item

"When There is Peace"

"When there is Peace our land no more
Will be the land we knew of yore."
Thus do our facile seers foretell
The truth that none can buy or sell
And e'en the wisest must ignore.

When we have bled at every pore,
Shall we still strive for gear and store?
Will it be Heaven? Will it be Hell,
When there is Peace?

This let us pray for, this implore:
That all base dreams thrust out at door,
We may in loftier aims excel
And, like men waking from a spell,
Grow stronger, nobler, than before,
When there is Peace.

Austin Dobson

Title: When There is Peace
Identifier: greatwar_clarke076

Item sets: A Treasury of War Poetry

Media: <html xmlns:tei="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"><body><h1 align="center" class="head">"When There is Peace"</h1><div class="stanza"><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">"When there is Peace our land no more</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">Will be the land we knew of yore."</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Thus do our facile seers foretell</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">The truth that none can buy or sell</p><p class="line">And e'en the wisest must ignore.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">When we have bled at every pore,</p><p class="line">Shall we still strive for gear and store?</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Will it be Heaven? Will it be Hell,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:7%">When there is Peace?</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">This let us pray for, this implore:</p><p class="line">That all base dreams thrust out at door,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">We may in loftier aims excel</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">And, like men waking from a spell,</p><p class="line">Grow stronger, nobler, than before,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:7%">When there is Peace.</p></div><p class="byline">Austin Dobson</p></body></html>