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57475: A Tear Song

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posted on 2024-04-19, 17:40 authored by First World War Poetry Digital Archive Project Team

Out of the endless nave
Chorus tremendous,
While the gruff organ gave
Sponses stupendous.
But of a surety
Not one among them
Said the psalms heartfully
Of all that sung them,
Saving one chorister,
Sweet as gay bugles when
Robin the Forester
Rallied his merry men.
Opened his little teeth
Like the round daisy's.
Smiled they for things beneath,
Or Zion's praises?
He sang of friendly bees
Not of the hills that skip,
It was that morning's breeze
Piped on his lip.
But his eyes jewelled were
Of his own singing,
God saw the sparkle there
On his lids clinging.
God the boy's jewel took
Into His casket,
Flinging the anthem book
On His waste-basket.
God for his glittering world
Seeketh our tears.
Prayers show as eyelids pearled.
God hath no ears.

History

Identifier

3307.txt

Creator

Owen, Wilfred (1893-1918)

Date

1983

Date Created

01/01/1983

Temporal Date

31/12/1983

Type

Poem

Rights

The Estate of Wilfred Owen. The Complete Poems and Fragments of Wilfred Owen edited by Jon Stallworthy first published by Chatto & Windus, 1983. Preliminaries, introductory, editorial matter, manuscripts and fragments omitted.

Repository Name

ProQuest

Publisher

The First World War Poetry Digital Archive

Usage metrics

    The Wilfred Owen Collection

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