<html xmlns:tei="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"><body><h1 align="" class="head">The Dead Men</h1><div class="stanza"><p class="line">IT was yesterday I heard again</p><p class="line">The dead man talk with living men,</p><p class="line">And watched the thread of converse go</p><p class="line">Among the speakers to and fro,</p><p class="line">Woven with merriment and wit</p><p class="line">And beauty to embroider it;</p><p class="line">And in the middle now and then,</p><p class="line">The laughter clear of happy men--</p><p class="line">Only to me a chamel scent</p><p class="line">Drifted across the argument,</p><p class="line">Only to me his fair young head</p><p class="line">Was lifeless and untenanted,</p><p class="line">And in his quiet even tones,</p><p class="line">I heard the sound of naked bones,</p><p class="line">And in his empty eyes could see</p><p class="line">The man who talked was dead, like me.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Then in the conversation's swim,</p><p class="line">I leaned across and spoke to him,</p><p class="line">And in his dim and dreary eyes</p><p class="line">Read suddenly a strange surprise,</p><p class="line">And in the touch of his dank hand,</p><p class="line">Knew that he too could understand;</p><p class="line">So we two talked, and as we heard</p><p class="line">Our friends' applause of each dull word</p><p class="line">We felt the slow and mournful winds</p><p class="line">Blow through the corpse house of our minds,</p><p class="line">And the cool dark of underground.</p><p class="line">And all the while they sat around</p><p class="line">Weighing each listless thing we said,</p><p class="line">And did not know that we were dead.</p></div></body></html> · Great War