<html xmlns:tei="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"><body><h1 align="" class="head">On Seeing the Coast of England from<br xmlns:exist="http://exist.sourceforge.net/NS/exist" xmlns:html="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"/>Boulogne</h1><div class="stanza"><p class="line">ALONG low line of polished white</p><p class="line">Faintly the cliffs of England gleam,</p><p class="line">Now slowly fading out of sight,</p><p class="line">Now swiftly leaping back, they seem</p><p class="line">Strange joys, strange sorrows to impart.</p><p class="line">And voices whisper at my heart.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">A quiet wood, a quiet lane.</p><p class="line">The song of birds amid the trees.</p><p class="line">The splash of sun, the sting of rain,</p><p class="line">The warm sweet air, the sighing breeze,</p><p class="line">And you beside our cottage door</p><p class="line">At eventide. Dear heart, once more</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">I see the first faint sunbeam tip</p><p class="line">The East with gold, the hills light up.</p><p class="line">Or stealing lower softly sip</p><p class="line">The dewdrop from the rose's cup;</p><p class="line">The glint of gorse upon the down.</p><p class="line">The long ploughed meadow strong and brown.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">We wander 'mid the grassfield where</p><p class="line">The busy reaper wends his way,</p><p class="line">The sharp scythe flashes on the air.</p><p class="line">Heavy the scent of new-mown hay</p><p class="line">Floats down the breeze, and all around</p><p class="line">The stricken poppies strew the ground.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Slowly my half-felt sorrows go</p><p class="line">And hope comes, gazing seaward where</p><p class="line">The dim cliffs glitter, for I know</p><p class="line">That these and you await me there.</p><p class="line">And I shall find them dearer far</p><p class="line">Enriched by all the pangs of war.</p></div></body></html> · Great War