<html xmlns:tei="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"><body><h1 align="" class="head">From the Somme</h1><div class="stanza"><p class="line">IN other days I sang of simple things.</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Of summer dawn, and summer noon and night.</p><p class="line">The dewy grass, the dew-wet fairy rings.</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">The lark's long golden flight.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Deep in the forest I made melody</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">While squirrels cracked their hazel nuts on high,</p><p class="line">Or I would cross the wet sand to the sea</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">And sing to sea and sky.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">When came the silvered silence of the night</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">I stole to casements over scented lawns.</p><p class="line">And softly sang of love and love's delight</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">To mute white marble fauns.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Oft in the tavern parlour I would sing</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Of morning sun upon the mountain vine,</p><p class="line">And, calling for a chorus, sweep the string</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">In praise of good red wine.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">I played with all the toys the gods provide,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">I sang my songs and made glad holiday.</p><p class="line">Now I have cast my broken toys aside</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">And flung my lute away.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">A singer once, I now am fain to weep.</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Within my soul I feel strange music swell.</p><p class="line">Vast chants of tragedy too deep—too deep</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">For my poor lips to tell.</p></div></body></html> · Great War