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Anti-war essays, poems, short stories and literary excerpts
British writers on peace and war
Frederic Manning: War poems
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Frederic Manning
The Face
Out of the smoke of men’s wrath,
The red mist of anger,
Suddenly,
As a wraith of sleep,
A boy’s face, white and tense,
Convulsed with terror and hate,
The lips trembling…
Then a red smear, falling…
I thrust aside the cloud, as it were tangible,
Blinded with a mist of blood.
The face cometh again
As a wraith of sleep:
A boy’s face delicate and blonde,
The very mask of God,
Broken.
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