The Old Men Speak
h, we are old and we are tiredWe are not radiant and inspired As those young men who go to war And know what they are fighting tor; And when this bloody war shall cease We know we shall not win the peace, E shuffle cards. We count our coins What time the children of our loins, Lie rotting in some foreign field. To multiply the harvest yield, We hold our lives upon a lease, We know we shall not win the peace. WE set great store on membership Of some old club, maybe. We dip Our hands in Maundy dish and cry In silence: "Master, is it I?" We spare our coats from spot or crease, We know we shall not win the peace, ND yet within our bleak old hearts Is some strange bird that sings and starts When bugles call and music plays, For we were young in former days, And though we perish in our grease, Those lovely boys shall win the peace.
C. R.
Allen
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZLIST19430521.2.15
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
New Zealand Listener, Volume 8, Issue 204, 21 May 1943, Page 6
Word count
Tapeke kupu
174The Old Men Speak New Zealand Listener, Volume 8, Issue 204, 21 May 1943, Page 6
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Material in this publication is protected by copyright.
Are Media Limited has granted permission to the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa to develop and maintain this content online. You can search, browse, print and download for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Are Media Limited for any other use.
Copyright in the work University Entrance by Janet Frame (credited as J.F., 22 March 1946, page 18), is owned by the Janet Frame Literary Trust. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this article and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the New Zealand Listener. You can search, browse, and print this article for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from the Janet Frame Literary Trust for any other use.
Copyright in the Denis Glover serial Hot Water Sailor published in 1959 is owned by Pia Glover. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this serial and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the Listener. You can search, browse, and print this serial for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Pia Glover for any other use.