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Wednesday, 26 September 2018

Poem - Margery Ruth Betts


The Young Dead
By Margery Ruth Betts

We have a pledge with you we may not break;
The fear and pain you knew, the blood you shed,
Your shattered bodies, cold and still and dead,
Are as a silent awful vow we make
In honour’s name for honour’s shining sake.
For us, your yielded youth is gathered up
Like to the wine in God’s uplifted cup,
Which kneeling at His altar steps we take.
So we shall never suffer wills grown cold,
Nor hold that falsehood differs not from truth,
Nor tame our high desires to lesser aims,
But dare the years with youth’s imperious claims,
Since we shall have, yes, even being old,
Still beating at our hearts your unused youth.

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