Poems

Between Us Now Between us now and here– Two thrown together Who are not wont to wear Life’s flushest feather– Who see the scenes slide past, […]

Channel Firing That night your great guns, unawares, Shook all our coffins as we lay, And broke the chancel window-squares, We thought it was the Judgment-day […]

Departure. While the far farewell music thins and fails, And the broad bottoms rip the bearing brine – All smalling slowly to the gray sea line […]

Ditty BENEATH a knap where flown Nestlings play, Within walls of weathered stone, Far away From the files of formal houses, By the bough the firstling […]

Domicilium It faces west, and round the back and sides High beeches, bending, hang a veil of boughs, And sweep against the roof. Wild honeysucks Climb […]

Drummer Hodge They throw in Drummer Hodge, to rest Uncoffined — just as found: His landmark is a kopje-crest That breaks the veldt around: And foreign […]

During Wind and Rain They sing their dearest songs — He, she, all of them — yea, Treble and tenor and bass, And one to play; […]

Embarcation Southampton Docks: October 1899 Here, where Vespasian’s legions struck the sands, And Cendric with the Saxons entered in, And Henry’s army lept afloat to win […]

Epitaph on a pessimist I’m Smith of Stoke aged sixty odd I’ve lived without a dame all my life And wish to God My dad had […]

Fragment At last I entered a long dark gallery, Catacomb-lined; and ranged at the side Were the bodies of men from far and wide Who, motion […]