<html xmlns:tei="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"><body><h1 align="center" class="head">Palestine: 1917</h1><div class="stanza"><p class="line"><span class="smallcaps">How</span> strange if it should fall to you,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">To me, our boys should do the deed</p><p class="line">The great Crusaders failed to do!</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">To win Christ's Sepulchre: to bleed,</p><p class="line">So the immortal dream come true.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">What ghosts now throng the Holy Ground,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">With rusted armour, dinted sword,</p><p class="line">Listening? The earth shakes with the sound;</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">The wind brings hither a fierce word:</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">To arms, to arms, Sons of Mahound!</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">In many a quiet cloister grey</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Cross-legged Crusaders, men of stone,</p><p class="line">Quiver and stir the Eastward way,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">As they would spring up and be gone</p><p class="line">To the Great Day, to the Great Day.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Godfrey and Lion-Heart and all</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">The splendours of the faithful years</p><p class="line">Watch our young sons from the Knights' stall,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Ready to clap hands to their spears</p><p class="line">If ill befall, if ill befall.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">They say: <em>It is the Child's Crusade</em></p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%"><em>Was talked of in our early Spring.</em></p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">St. George, St. Denis, to their aid!</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%"><em>That was a boy's voice challenging,</em></p><p class="line" style="text-indent:%">Shrill like a bugle, unafraid!</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Most wonderful, if your son, my son,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Should win the Holy Thing at last!</p><p class="line">The might of Heathenesse be undone,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">The strong towers down, the gate unfast,</p><p class="line">Lord Christ come to His own, His own.</p></div></body></html> · Great War