TRENCH POETS.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 292, 13 July 1917, Page 3 (Supplement)

TRENCH POETS.

MAKING VERSES UNDER DIFFICULTIES.

It was a dull day in Billy's trench. )nly a stray shell now and then reieved the monotony of jvaiting in the and. One of the hoys had been trying o cheer up bv reciting Kigling. "I tell you what," said Billy to his hum Bob, "we ought to make some loetry in our -spare time. We could lake a volume and call it, 'Dug-out )itties' or 'Music- from the Mud,' or omething like that." "I dunno how to make poetry," said

(ob. "Oh, it's easy enough!" said Billy. : You> just get a line and then think if something to rhyme with it. Of ouree, you must&ave a subject. Now, jt's start one about a soldier. What s good name for a soldier? A sort of iero-ilo!dier, you know!" "Horatio," said Bob promptly. "Shut up; don't be an ass I" , "What about Egbert e£ Clarence?" "Rotten!"

" D'you think so? Oh, well, let's lake a start on Clarence; we can easily Iter it afterwards."

DIDN'T MAKE SURE

Just then a shell iwhizzed above them lid exploded about fifty yards away. "That's given me an idea for the irst line," said Billy. " 'The shells rere bursting overhead.' Now, you hink of something to rhyme with hat."

" 'And Clarence said a prayer for ■read,' " said Bob, after serious bought. "What did he want bread for?" "I dunno! You said you wanted nmething to rhyme. Well, bread — ead, head—bread. What's the mater with that?" "Oh, it's got to moke sense, you iiot i Try ayiin." " 'And Clarence wished that he was ead.' " *-

"No; a hero neyer wishes he was •ad. That won't do."

"Well, can he think of his I'ncle 'ed?"

"No; it get« too many names 1 in. i'e'll get complicated. I know,—'And 'larence wished he was in bed." "

"Well, that makes him seem hulan," agreed 80b.,. "What else did llarence do? Give us the next line."

HEROES DON'T SWEAR

"We'll have to make him think of is home and his sweetheart next. 'He ad a girl across the sea.' " " 'She used to sit upon his knee,' " ilded Bob.

"No, no! That won't do," said lilly. "You don't talk of things like its. in poetry." " Well, then. 'She used to ask him :und to tea.' "

"No: that's too ordinary. I've got ;! 'He loved her to a great degree.' iow, you give the next line."

" 'He had her photo o'er his) heart,' :: id Bob, pathetically^ "That's not bad," said Billy. " 'Beuise it cased his aching smart," he lded.

"It's a photo, not a poultice, you're diking about." "Oh, all right! 'To show that they rould never part!' " "But they are parted," iprotested lob. "You just said that she was bross the sea."

'"Part in spirit, I meant," said Billy You say things like that in poetry iow, let's get back to Clarence." " 'The mud was rising everywhere.'"

" 'And it did make our hero tfwear,' " lid Bob promptly.

"Heroes never swear at little things Ike that," said Bill v.

HOW THEY FINISHED

f "Well, then, 'lt reached our humble ero's hair." I like the 'humble hero's air.' don't you?" "No, I don't. If it was tin to his nir he couldn't breathe, von sj! 1 y ass!'' "Oh, well, if you're so partir-ular, nd your own lino."

!"I will," said Billy. "I've got one. He bravely said. 'I do not care!' That foes well:

'The mud wa; rising everywhere— He bravely said, '1 do not care!' ''

.Tust then another shell burst near y. Billy clucked, and. losing his I .ilnoe, slipped into the thick, black mud. s he picked himself up the ;iir was full ' words not usually found in poetry. "What the blazes is there to grin tlie asked as he iwipej the mud 'inn his neck. "Oh. nothing much," s ; u<] Bob. "T as only thinking of the last line. Now, larriice would have sah'd " "Oh +trafe Clarence s mJ Billc eartilv. and then the order -ante to ;and t<>.