Page:Canadian poems of the great war.djvu/108

 William Douw Light hall

Crusaders of the Grail. Rude knights were some But knightly all : God loves all faithful men.

Their deeds are written on the sun. What need

To. tell again how, equals with the best

Of Britain s and of France s chivalry

(Equals of those at Mons who taught the hordes

Trusting in guns and numbers, what soldiers were;

Equals of those who at Verdun stood firm

In the long storms of fire) ; what need to tell

How ours broke Prussia s heart of cruel pride

At Ypres, Festubert and Courcellette !

Galahads of the camps ! For this you learnt

The fearless life and strenuous company

Of the wild North, contempt of hurt and cold,

Joy of unmeasured contest, wit to meet

Emergency, deft skill and steady nerve.

What seemed but sport was training, and the best

Was inner, loyal will and heart humane.

And in your battles you remembered oft

The mountains of the Land of Manitou.

��Some shall return with honour, henceforth called The heroes of the world. But where are those Who never shall return ?

They saw the Grail

And were caught up to heaven. Where is Lysle, With eyes of sunlight ever brimming mirth, Magnet of every heart ? Where Edward kind Who knew no bounds to faithfulness, and bore, Three times shell-buried, that message to his chief? Alas! to earthly eyes they sleep afar In fields of glory famed to end of time. Yet ever shall they clothe these leafy hills With visions of the noblest deeds of men And hold before Canadian youths to come The quest eternal of the Holy Grail.

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