<html xmlns:tei="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"><body><h1 align="center" class="head">The Call<br xmlns:exist="http://exist.sourceforge.net/NS/exist" xmlns:html="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"/> (<span class="smallcaps">France, August 1st,</span> 1914)</h1><p class="byline"> ROBERT W. SERVICE </p><p>From "Rhymes of a Red Cross Man," a book of fine poems by Mr. Service and copyright, 1916, by Barse & Hopkins, New York. Special permission to insert in this book.</p><div class="stanza"><p class="line" style="text-indent:3%">FAR and near, high and clear, </p><p class="line" style="text-indent:3%">Hark to the call of War! </p><p class="line">Over the gorse and the golden dells, </p><p class="line">Ringing and swinging of clamorous bells, </p><p class="line">Praying and saving of wild farewells: </p><p class="line" style="text-indent:3%">War! War! War!</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line" style="text-indent:3%">High and low, all must go: </p><p class="line" style="text-indent:3%">Hark to the shout of War!</p><p class="line">Leave to the women the harvest yield; </p><p class="line">Gird ye, men, for the sinister field; </p><p class="line">A sabre instead of a scythe to wield. </p><p class="line" style="text-indent:3%">War! Red war!</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line" style="text-indent:3%">Rich and poor, lord and boor, </p><p class="line" style="text-indent:3%">Hark to the blast of War! </p><p class="line">Tinker and tailor and millionaire, </p><p class="line">Actor in triumph and priest in prayer, </p><p class="line">Comrades now in the hell out there, </p><p class="line" style="text-indent:3%">Sweep to the fire of War!</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line" style="text-indent:3%">Prince and page, sot and sage, </p><p class="line" style="text-indent:3%">Hark to the roar of War! </p><p class="line">Poet, professor and circus clown, </p><p class="line">Chimney-sweeper and fop o' the town, </p><p class="line">Into the pot and be melted down </p><p class="line" style="text-indent:3%">Into the pot of War!</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line" style="text-indent:3%">Women all, hear the call, </p><p class="line" style="text-indent:3%">The pitiless call of War! </p><p class="line">Look your last on your dearest ones, </p><p class="line">Brothers and husbands, fathers, sons: </p><p class="line">Swift they go to the ravenous guns, </p><p class="line" style="text-indent:3%">The gluttonous guns of War!</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line" style="text-indent:3%">Everywhere thrill the</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:3%">The maniac bells of War!</p><p class="line">There will be little of sleeping </p><p class="line">T'here will be wailing and weeping tonight;</p><p class="line">Death's red sickle is reaping tonight:</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:3%"> War! War War! </p></div></body></html> · Great War