Page:Canadian poems of the great war.djvu/152

 Lieut.-Col. John McCrae

THE ANXIOUS DEAD

Reprinted by the special permission of the Editor of The Spectator, London, England.

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��GUNS, fall silent till the dead men hear Above their heads the legions passing on ;

(Those fought their fight in time of bitter fear, And died not knowing how the day had gone. )

O flashing muzzles, pause, and let them see The coming dawn that streaks the sky afar;

Then let your mighty chorus witness be

To them, and Caesar, that we still make war.

Tell them, O guns, that we have heard their call, That we have sworn, and will not turn aside,

That we will onward till we win or fall,

That we will keep the faith for which they died.

Bid them be patient, and some day, anon, They shall feel earth enwrapt in silence deep,

Shall greet, in wonderment, the quiet dawn, And in content may turn them to their sleep.

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