Page:A treasury of war poetry, British and American poems of the world war, 1914-1919.djvu/236

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T was silent in the street.

I did not know until a woman told me,

Sobbing over the muslin she sold me.

Then I went out and walked to the square

And saw a few dazed people standing there.

And then the drums beat, the drums beat!

O then the drums beat!

And hurrying, stumbling through the street

Came the hurrying stumbling feet.

O I have heard the drums beat

For war!

I have heard the townsfolk come,

I have heard the roll and thunder of the nearest drum

As the drummer stopped and cried, "Hear!

Be strong! The summons comes! Prepare!"

Closing, he prayed us to be calm. ..

And there was calm in my heart of the desert, of the dead sea,

Of vast plains of the West before the coming storm,

And there was calm in their eyes like the last calm that shall be.

And then the drum beat,

The fatal drum beat,

And the drummer marched through the street

And down to another square,

And the drummer above took up the beat

And sent it onward where,

Huddled, we stood and heard the drums roll,

And then a bell began to toll.

O I have heard the thunder of drums

Crashing into simple poor homes.

I have heard the drums roll "Farewell!"

I have heard the tolling cathedral bell