<html xmlns:tei="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"><body><h1 align="center" class="head">Winter Night.</h1><div class="stanza"><p class="line"><span class="smallcaps">Roams</span> the East wind across a midnight sky,</p><p class="line">And shapes of cloud, transparent, curdled, white,</p><p class="line">Like homing spirits take their lowly flight</p><p class="line">Before his breath; but glittering on high</p><p class="line">A throb of winter stars doth chequer heaven with light.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Here, underneath the Hunter, all is still,</p><p class="line">And silver Sirius sparkles at his feet;</p><p class="line">While nearer, children of the earth, they fleet --</p><p class="line">Those sad, etiolate clouds along the hill --</p><p class="line">As though our dead returned their native land to greet.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">How may one slumber, how the curtain close</p><p class="line">And shut them out and turn to blessed rest,</p><p class="line">While, panging like a poison in the breast,</p><p class="line">Their agony for ever flows and flows?</p><p class="line">By day, by night they fall, our bravest and our best.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">O little clouds, the stars ye cannot hide,</p><p class="line">Yet shadow in your impotence a plea</p><p class="line">Mightier than all the night's immensity</p><p class="line">Hath power to conjure of her pomp and pride:</p><p class="line">The claim of men who die that man may still go free.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Your vapours sink to earth; down from his height,</p><p class="line">Flashing red gold, each ancient star departs;</p><p class="line">Chill Eurus droops at dawn's approaching darts;</p><p class="line">For clouds and stars and winds shall pass with night;</p><p class="line">The ever living dead shine on within our hearts.</p></div><p class="byline">EDEN PHILLPOTTS.<br xmlns:exist="http://exist.sourceforge.net/NS/exist" xmlns:html="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"/></p></body></html> · Great War