<html xmlns:tei="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"><body><h1 align="center" class="head">The Father</h1><h1 align="center" class="head"><em>Captain Patrick Tobin, R.D.F. Suvla, August 15th, 1915</em></h1><div class="stanza"><p class="line"><span class="smallcaps">Ever</span> his eyes are fixed on a glorious sight.</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">A boy is leading, calls his men to come on:</p><p class="line">Light as a deer he leaps, slender and bright,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Up the hill, irresistible: it is won!</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Ever he sees the boy against the sky,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">A slender Victory, light on his golden head.</p><p class="line">Hardly the down on his lip he hath leaped so high,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">His name is writ among the undying Dead.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Captain at one-and-twenty! Much was to come,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Great things yet to be done, heights to be scaled;</p><p class="line">Love and comradeship, all fruition of bloom.</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">He has attained to the highest. Not he who failed!</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">The mother weeps her boy who comes not again.</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">The Father sees him, splendid and laughing still,</p><p class="line">Leaping like a young deer, calling his men.</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">The glory dazzles! The boy's keeping the hill!</p></div></body></html> · Great War