Rhymes of a Red-Cross Man/The Lark

by Robert W. Service

For works with similar titles, see The Lark.

The Lark

From wrath-red dawn to wrath-red dawn,
      The guns have brayed without abate;
And now the sick sun looks upon
      The bleared, blood-boltered fields of hate
As if it loathed to rise again.
      How strange the hush! Yet sudden, hark!
From yon down-trodden gold of grain,
      The leaping rapture of a lark.

A fusillade of melody,
      That sprays us from yon trench of sky;
A new amazing enemy
      We cannot silence though we try;
A battery on radiant wings,
      That from yon gap of golden fleece
Hurls at us hopes of such strange things
      As joy and home and love and peace.

Pure heart of song! do you not know
      That we are making earth a hell?
Or is it that you try to show
      Life still is joy and all is well?
Brave little wings! Ah, not in vain
      You beat into that bit of blue:
Lo! we who pant in war's red rain
      Lift shining eyes, see Heaven too.