Page:Poems (Owen, 1920).djvu/49

 O Life, Life, let me breathe,—a dug-out rat!

Not worse than ours the existences rats lead—

Nosing along at night down some safe rut,

They find a shell-proof home before they rot.

Dead men may envy living mites in cheese,

Or good germs even. Microbes have their joys,

And subdivide, and never come to death,

Certainly flowers have the easiest time on earth.

"I shall be one with nature, herb, and stone."

Shelley would tell me. Shelley would be stunned;

The dullest Tommy hugs that fancy now.

"Pushing up daisies" is their creed, you know.

To grain, then, go my fat, to buds my sap,

For all the usefulness there is in soap.

D'you think the Boche will ever stew man-soup?

Some day, no doubt, if... Friend, be very sure

I shall be better off with plants that share

More peaceably the meadow and the shower.

Soft rains will touch me,—as they could touch once,

And nothing but the sun shall make me ware.

Your guns may crash around me. I'll not hear;

Or, if I wince, I shall not know I wince.

Don't take my soul's poor comfort for your jest.

Soldiers may grow a soul when turned to fronds,

But here's the thing's best left at home with friends.

My soul's a little grief, grappling your chest,

To climb your throat on sobs; easily chased

On other sighs and wiped by fresher winds.

Carry my crying spirit till it's weaned

To do without what blood remained these wounds.