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Guards Came Through and other Poems

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<h2><SPAN class="pagenum" name="Page_40" title="40"> </SPAN>THE VOLUNTEER</h2> <p class="subheading">(1914–1919)</p> <div class="poetry"> <div class="stanza"> <div class="line"><span class="small-caps">The</span> dreams are passed and gone, old man,</div> <div class="line indent2">That came to you and me,</div> <div class="line">Of a six days' stunt on an east coast front,</div> <div class="line indent2">And the Hun with his back to the sea.</div> </div> <div class="stanza"> <div class="line">Lord, how we worked and swotted sore</div> <div class="line indent2">To be fit when the day should come!</div> <div class="line">Four years, my lad, and five months more,</div> <div class="line indent2">Since first we followed the drum.</div> </div> <div class="stanza"> <div class="line">Though “Follow the drum” is a bit too grand,</div> <div class="line indent2">For we ran to no such frills;</div> <div class="line">It was just the whistles of Nature's band</div> <div class="line indent2">That heartened us up the hills.</div> </div> <div class="stanza"> <SPAN class="pagenum" name="Page_41" title="41"> </SPAN> <div class="line">That and the toot of the corporal's flute,</div> <div class="line indent2">Until he could blow no more,</div> <div class="line">And the lilt of “Sussex by the Sea,”</div> <div class="line indent2">The marching song of the corps.</div> </div> <div class="stanza"> <div class="line">Those hills! My word, you would soon get fit,</div> <div class="line indent2">Be you ever so stale and slack,</div> <div class="line">If you pad it with rifle and marching kit</div> <div class="line indent2">To Rotherfield Hill and back!</div> </div> <div class="stanza"> <div class="line">Drills in hall, and drills outdoors,</div> <div class="line indent2">And drills of every type,</div> <div class="line">Till we wore our boots with forming fours,</div> <div class="line indent2">And our coats with “Shoulder hipe!”</div> </div> <div class="stanza"> <div class="line">No glory ours, no swank, no pay,</div> <div class="line indent2">One dull eventless grind;</div> <div class="line">Find yourself, and nothing a day</div> <div class="line indent2">Were the terms that the old boys signed.</div> </div> <div class="stanza"> <SPAN class="pagenum" name="Page_42" title="42"> </SPAN> <div class="line">Just drill and march and drill again,</div> <div class="line indent2">And swot at the old parade,</div> <div class="line">But they got two hundred thousand men.</div> <div class="line indent2">Not bad for the old brigade!</div> </div> <div class="stanza"> <div class="line">A good two hundred thousand came,</div> <div class="line indent2">On the chance of that east coast fight;</div> <div class="line">They may have been old and stiff and lame,</div> <div class="line indent2">But, by George, their hearts were right!</div> </div> <div class="stanza"> <div class="line">Discipline! My! “Eyes right!” they cried,</div> <div class="line indent2">As we passed the drill hall door,</div> <div class="line">And left it at that—so we marched cock-eyed</div> <div class="line indent2">From three to half-past four.</div> </div> <div class="stanza"> <div class="line">And solid! Why, after a real wet bout</div> <div class="line indent2">In a hole in the Flanders mud,</div> <div class="line">It would puzzle the Boche to fetch us out,</div> <div class="line indent2">For we couldn't get out if we would!</div> </div> <div class="stanza"> <SPAN class="pagenum" name="Page_43" title="43"> </SPAN> <div class="line">Some think we could have stood war's test,</div> <div class="line indent2">Some say that we could not,</div> <div class="line">But a chap can only do his best,</div> <div class="line indent2">And offer all he's got.</div> </div> <div class="stanza"> <div class="line">Fall out, the guard! The old home guard!</div> <div class="line indent2">Pile arms! Right turn! Dismiss!</div> <div class="line">No grousing, even if it's hard</div> <div class="line indent2">To break our ranks like this.</div> </div> <div class="stanza"> <div class="line">We can't show much in the way of fun</div> <div class="line indent2">For four and a half years gone;</div> <div class="line">If we'd had our chance—just one! just one!—</div> <div class="line indent2">Carry on, old Sport, carry on!</div> </div></div> <div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />

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