Quote#War
Oh, Death was never enemy of ours!
Quote byWilfred Owen · 1893–1918
Commonly attributed — not confirmed in an authoritative edition. Cited on Wikiquote to: "The Next War".
English (original)
Oh, Death was never enemy of ours! We laughed at him, we leagued with him, old chum. No soldier's paid to kick against His powers. We laughed, — knowing that better men would come, And greater wars: when each proud fighter brags He wars on Death, for lives; not men, for flags.
— Wilfred Owen
More from Wilfred Owen
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs, Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues, — My friend, you would not tell with such high zest To children …
Gas! GAS! Quick, boys! — An ecstasy of fumbling, Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time; But someone still was yelling out and stumbling, And flound'ring like a man in fire or lime... Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light, As …
Bent double like old beggars under sacks, Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge, Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Tonight he noticed how the women's eyes Passed from him to the strong men that were whole.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots But limped on, blood-shod.
"None," said the other, "Save the undone years, The hopelessness.