The Next War
July 6, 2023The Kind Ghosts
July 6, 2023The Last Laugh
‘Oh! Jesus Christ! I’m hit,’ he said; and died.
Whether he vainly cursed or prayed indeed,
The Bullets chirped-In vain, vain, vain!
Machine-guns chuckled,-Tut-tut! Tut-tut!
And the Big Gun guffawed.
Another sighed,-‘O Mother, -Mother, – Dad!’
Then smiled at nothing, childlike, being dead.
And the lofty Shrapnel-cloud
Leisurely gestured,-Fool!
And the splinters spat, and tittered.
‘My Love!’ one moaned. Love-languid seemed his mood,
Till slowly lowered, his whole faced kissed the mud.
And the Bayonets’ long teeth grinned;
Rabbles of Shells hooted and groaned;
And the Gas hissed.
Wilfred Owen
Wilfred Owen (1893-1918) was an English poet and soldier who is considered one of the most important voices of the First World War. Owen's poetry often dealt with the horrors of war and the suffering of soldiers, and his most famous works include "Dulce et Decorum Est" and "Anthem for Doomed Youth." Owen was killed in action just one week before the end of the war.