Picture Show (Sassoon collection)/Battalion-Relief

by Siegfried Sassoon

BATTALION-RELIEF

 

'Fall in! Now get a move on.' (Curse the rain.)We splash away along the straggling village,Out to the flat rich country, green with June....And sunset flares across wet crops and tillage,Blazing with splendour-patches. (Harvest soon,Up in the Line.) 'Perhaps the War'll be done'By Christmas-Day. Keep smiling then, old son.'

Here's the Canal: it's dusk; we cross the bridge.'Lead on there, by platoons.' (The Line's a-glareWith shell-fire through the poplars; distant rattleOf rifles and machine-guns.) 'Fritz is there!'Christ, 'aint it lively, Sergeant? Is't a battle?'More rain: the lightning blinks, and thunder rumbles.'There's over-head artillery!' some chap grumbles.

What's all this mob at the cross-roads? Where are the guides?...'Lead on with number One.' And off they go.'Three minute intervals.' (Poor blundering files, Sweating and blindly burdened; who's to knowIf death will catch them in those two dark miles?)More rain. 'Lead on, Head-quarters.' (That's the lot.)'Who's that?...Oh, Sergeant-Major, don't get shot!'And tell me, have we won this war or not?'