Page:Canadian poems of the great war.djvu/205

 Duncan Campbell Scott

But ere that came a vision sealed thine eyes,

Lulling thy senses with oblivion;

And from its sliding station in the skies

Thy dauntless soul upward in circles soared

To the sublime and purest radiance whence it sprang.

In all their eyries eagles shall mourn thy fate, And leaving on the lonely crags and scaurs Their unprotected young, shall congregate High in the tenuous heaven and anger the sun With screams, and with a wild audacity Dare all the battle danger of thy flight ; Till weary with combat one shall desert the light, Fall like a bolt of thunder and check his fall On the high ledge, smoky with mist and cloud, Where his neglected eaglets shriek aloud, And drawing the film across his sovereign sight Shall dream of thy swift soul immortal Mounting in circles, faithful beyond death.

��o

��TO A CANADIAN LAD KILLED IN THE WAR

NOBLE youth that held our honour in keeping,

And bore it sacred through the battle flame,

How shall we give full measure of acclaim

To thy sharp labour, thy immortal reaping?

For though we sowed with doubtful hands, half sleeping,

Thou in thy vivid pride hast reaped a nation,

And brought it in with shouts and exultation,

With drums and trumpets, with flags flashing and leaping.

Let us bring pungent wreaths of balsam, and tender Tendrils of wild-flowers, lovelier for thy daring, And deck a sylvan shrine, where the maple parts The moonlight, with lilac bloom, and the splendour Of suns unwearied ; all un withered, wearing Thy valour stainless in our heart of hearts.

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