<html xmlns:tei="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"><body><h1 align="" class="head">The Message</h1><div class="stanza"><p class="line"><span class="smallcaps">Dear</span> angel friend, speak to his angel for her;</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Tell him a mother prays his angel keep</p><p class="line">Her little son in the battle and the horror</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">When all her prayers are laid away in sleep.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">All day her prayers flow like a running river</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Under the eyes of Him, mighty and kind.</p><p class="line">His angel's prayers shall be as a sweet savour</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Lest that her bitter need be out of mind.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Go tell his angel, where Death flies and hovers</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Her son, her little son, is under the swords.</p><p class="line">Blue are his eyes as pools the June sky covers,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Brown his young head, as brown as any bird's.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Tell him the boy is young and tall for token;</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Pluck thou his angel that he speed, alert;</p><p class="line">Lest that her trust of eighteen years be broken,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Lest that her precious young son should be hurt.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Tell him he fights amid the gloomy mountains</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">So slight, so brave, against the terrible Kings.</p><p class="line">Say that he thirsts and harsh earth has no fountains,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Say that he falls-oh, pluck his angel's wings!</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Shout to his angel if he should be roaming</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">That her one little son's lost if he fail.</p><p class="line">Bid him be quick and splendid at his coming,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Dreadful with beauty so that he prevail.</p></div></body></html> · Great War