Maurice Baring: The Wounded

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Anti-war essays, poems, short stories and literary excerpts
British writers on peace and war
Maurice Baring: The greater fools are you who seek the wars
Maurice Baring: Unalterable horror, misery, pain and suffering which is caused by modern war
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Maurice Baring
The Wounded
To H.C.
They turn us from the long-desired door;
Here there is shelter for the sorely spent,
But not for us; since many a dying score
Of maimed and mangled men, whose limbs are rent
With bayonet and with bullet, crowd the floor.
We who have fought since dawn, nor tasted bread,
Although our wounds are slight, our wounds are sore,
We must march on, nor shall we find a bed.
O men, O brothers, is our rest not earned?
Shall we not seek the mountains huge and wide
Whose doors are always open? There the guest
Sweet welcome finds; for thou hast never turned
A stranger from thy gates, nor hast denied,
O hospitable Death, a place to rest.
Fun-Chu-Ling
October 16, 1904
 

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