Poetical Pictures of the Great War Suitable for Recitation. First Series ... Second Series ... Third Series ... Fourth Series. By Mackenzie Bell |
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THE WISE HORSE.
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 | Poetical Pictures of the Great War |  |
THE WISE HORSE.
(A True Story of 1914.)
Ere the trench warfare is begun,
And men change post ere rise of sun,
A troop of our best cavalry
Are called to charge the enemy.
Onward! with faces all a-glow
With martial ardour, now they go,
No man in bearing seems to err,
No gallant steed deserves the spur,
One moment sees their proud advance,
With whirling sword or glittering lance.
The next beholds a bursting shell
Fall in their midst—a bolt of Hell.
And men change post ere rise of sun,
A troop of our best cavalry
Are called to charge the enemy.
Onward! with faces all a-glow
With martial ardour, now they go,
No man in bearing seems to err,
No gallant steed deserves the spur,
One moment sees their proud advance,
With whirling sword or glittering lance.
The next beholds a bursting shell
Fall in their midst—a bolt of Hell.
A soldier, wounded nigh to death,
Drops slowly, panting now for breath,
Seeing him fall, his faithful horse
With bent neck, looks, then checks his course,
Once more he looks, looks yet again,
Sure is it, now, he knows the pain,
Then, by kind instinct gentle made,
He bends, and seeks to render aid.
The man's torn raiment holding fast,
He lifts him up; and gallops past
All danger: then, and not till then,
Amid a picket of our men,
From his kind mouth he loosed his load
And softly neighed for help, nor strode
Away although that help had come.
Drops slowly, panting now for breath,
Seeing him fall, his faithful horse
With bent neck, looks, then checks his course,
Sure is it, now, he knows the pain,
Then, by kind instinct gentle made,
He bends, and seeks to render aid.
The man's torn raiment holding fast,
He lifts him up; and gallops past
All danger: then, and not till then,
Amid a picket of our men,
From his kind mouth he loosed his load
And softly neighed for help, nor strode
Away although that help had come.
Later, amid the gathering hum
Of friendly tones, and friendly hands,
He looks; he knows; he understands;
And takes his sugar quietly,
While men say, for his bravery,
Now he deserves the famed V.C.
Of friendly tones, and friendly hands,
He looks; he knows; he understands;
And takes his sugar quietly,
While men say, for his bravery,
Now he deserves the famed V.C.
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