1915-02-05oo

On February 5, 1915, the Hamilton Spectator carried two poems inspired by the ongoing war situation:

 

          The Summons

(Dedicated to the Canadian Club of Hamilton)

 

Britons along the mighty world’s highway,

   Waken, and throng, from mart and field and glen;

Now looms that day of wrath, the world’s dread day,

   Prophesied of old by ancient men;

          Arise! Arise!

 

From every corner of the teeming earth,

   Answer and gather; to her banners come;

Throw down the duty or the dice of mirth,

   Responsive to the ominous battle drum;

          Prepare! Prepare!

 

This is no hour for hesitating doubt,

   Self-interests, greed, or base ambition’s dream;

The grim, red wolves of earth’s worst war are out,

   The iron menace and the halefire’s gleam;

          Enlist! Enlist!

 

The arrogant Hun against our ancient coasts

   Would hurl his serried panoply of steel;

Across the world are heard the despot’s boasts,

   O’er Europe’s lands his awful cohorts reel;

          Arise! Arise!

 

Waken, if e’er you woke to any cause;

   Now strikes your hour, to conquer or go down;

To win for freedom, justice and God’s laws,

   Or sink before the cruel despot’s crown;

          Arise! Arise!

 

Go forth and fight; nor will you strive alone;

   Earth’s valiant ones will battle by your side,

And strength of all that strength your cause shall own,

   The Lord of Hosts will in your vanguard ride;

          Toward earth’s high doom.

                             -WILFRID CAMPBELL

 

 

Young Man Sit-By-the-Fire

  Or, Let the Other Fellow Do It.

 

Let the other fellow do it;

   He’s the fellow to enlist,

And to fight for King and country,

   With a sabre in his fist,

Or with bayonet and rifle

   In the grip of wiry fist.

 

Let the other fellow do it;

   I’m a husky, healthy guy,

I know it, and quite old enough

   To leave the nest and fly

But – the nest is safe and comfy,

   And, by jinks, I hate to try.

 

Let the other fellow do it,

   I’ve no wife to leave behind,

Neither wife nor helpless kiddies

   To invade my peace of mind,

But the nest is – oh! so cosy,

And the girls are – oh! so kind.

 

Let the other fellow do it,

   I’ve some stirrings of the blood,

At danger to the motherland

   From Goth and Vandal flood,

But – my snug nest, hung high and dry

   Holds safe its fluttering brood.

 

Let the other fellow do it,

   I’ve got bus’ness sport and games

That leave me little time enough

   And (now please don’t call me names)

When a fellow’s in Society

   He’s just got to squire the dames.

 

Let the other fellow do it;

   I’ve the hens and hogs to feed;

Chores that suit me hang right better

   Than astride a charging steed,

Or atop a jouncing caisson

   With the big guns in the lead.

 

Let the other fellow do it;

   I’ve got no call to roam;

I like to sing God Save the King,

   But when I use my dome,

It tells me little Willie is

   Much better at home.

 

                                                G. I.