<html xmlns:tei="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"><body><h1 align="center" class="head">The Short Road to Heaven</h1><div class="stanza"><p class="line"><span class="smallcaps">There's</span> a short road to Heaven, but you must take it young,</p><p class="line">And if you're for long living the road is all as long;</p><p class="line">A long road, a hard road, with many a turn and twist.</p><p class="line">The longer you'll be travelling, the easier it's missed.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">But the wise lads, the dear lads, they've put it to the touch,</p><p class="line">The lads of sweet-and-twenty, and maybe not so much;</p><p class="line">'Tis the green way they've taken in the spring of their year,</p><p class="line">When all their birds are singing to make them pleasant cheer.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">The long road is dusty and never a streamlet sings,</p><p class="line">The dust lies on the hedgerows and on the birdies' wings;</p><p class="line">The longer that you travel the wearier you are</p><p class="line">And the farther off is Heaven and the stars are far.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">But the wise lads, the dear lads, the pathway's dewy green,</p><p class="line">For the little Knights of Paradise of eighteen and nineteen;</p><p class="line">They run the road to Heaven, they are singing as they go,</p><p class="line">And the blood of their sacrifice has washed them white as snow.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">The young mothers' darlings, ah, who would bid them stay?</p><p class="line">The short road to Heaven's a green and pleasant way;</p><p class="line">They run singing and leaping, they will be in before</p><p class="line">The night darkens on them -- and there's God at the door.</p></div></body></html> · Great War