Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE BATTLE ON THE FLOOR, by NATHALIA CRANE


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE BATTLE ON THE FLOOR, by                    
First Line: My father was a soldier, so
Last Line: A battle all her own.
Subject(s): Fathers & Daughters; Soldiers; War


MY father was a soldier, so
Some nights he talks of war;
He tells of guns at "action right,"—
The battlefield's the floor.

He says: "My little daughter Nan,
"There's art in every fight,
"So push the chairs and rugs around
"And set the battle right.

"Put down the vase and candlesticks,
"And throw the books around—
"We want to show a town in France,
"With shell-holes in the ground.

"Here's infantry and batteries,
"And outposts, out before;
"That piece of string will do for wires
"Laid by the Signal Corps.

"The enemy's upon the rug,
"We've fathomed their design;
"So now we'll bring the doughboys up
"And charge the whole darn line."

The captains, on the carpet, shout—
"Reserves are back too far"—
But the guns go into action with
The smoke of Pa's cigar.

Then Ma gets mad, and says that Pa
Was shell-shocked once in War,
Or else he wouldn't want to play
At battles on the floor.

She says that war is bad enough,
And pretty rough, to boot,
Without a battlefield at home,
Or teaching girls to shoot.

Then Pa, he stops the battle, and
We put things in their place;
We know when we have fought enough,
By the look on Mother's face.

But I'd just as soon be shell-shocked some,
To know what father knows;
I'd just as soon stay out at night—
In France—and wet my clothes,

For I'd like to see a battle fierce,
With star shells up at night,
With regiments upon the move,
And guns at "action right."

With cunning ammunition mules
A-trotting to and fro,
And personal friends a-shouting in
The dark, "Let's go."

I think that Father's quite correct
Describing things to me,
And all that war in rainy France
That lies across the sea;

For Father feels that every girl
Should have some nerve and tone,
And know just how to manage in
A battle all her own.





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