Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, JUST ONE SIGNAL, by ANONYMOUS


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

JUST ONE SIGNAL, by                    
First Line: The war-path is true and straight
Last Line: For the way to fight is to fight
Subject(s): "manila, Philippines;patriotism;spanish-american War (1898);


THE war-path is true and straight,
It knoweth no left or right;
Why ponder and wonder and vacillate?
The way to fight is to fight.

The officer of the deck
Had climbed to a perch aloft,
And he leaned far out and he craned his neck,
And his tones were gentle and soft:
"I see," he whispered, "off there to port,
Through the night shade's lesser black,
The darker blur of the outer fort,
Preparing for the attack."
They signalled it so, and sharp and short
The answer was signalled back:
"Keep on."

Again from the upper air
Came the quiet voice of the guide:
"The admiral's flagship's over there,
Two miles on the starboard side.
It's a long, long way for the best of eyes,
But I know her by moon or sun,
I know by her lines and I know her size --
And there goes her warning gun."
"That boat will make a most excellent prize,"
Said the admiral, "when we've won.
Keep on."

The whispering came again:
"I think by the hints and signs
Appearing ahead of us now and then
That we're getting among their mines.
Ten fathom in front, as the search-lights show,
I fancy that I can detect
The line of their outermost works -- Ah, no!
It is nearer than I'd suspect."
The message was sent to the admiral so,
And he answered to this effect:
"Keep on."

The haze of the dawning day
Slid into the shades of night,
And he called: "Off there in the upper bay,
They're lining their ships for a fight.
I think they are training on us --" No more
He said, for the dawn was lit
By the blaze of a gun from the neighboring shore,
And he fell to the deck, hard hit.
They signalled: "The first man struck." As before
The admiral answered it:
"Keep on."

The sun came over the hills
As wishing a world-wide weal.
And the guns were fired with the aim that kills,
And steel pierced the heart of steel.
And the line of shore was the fringe of hell,
And the centre of hell was the sea,
And the woe was the woe no tongue may tell,
And no eye view tearlessly,
And over that crater of bomb and shell
The signal continued to be:
"Keep on."

O Lawrence, whose passing cry
Grows ever the more sublime,
And thou, O Nile King, whose words shall die
When we learn of the death of time,
We send you the third of a glorious three;
We send you a battle shout
That echoes up from the blood-thick sea
And up from the wreck and rout
And down from the staff on the high crosstree
Where the flag is signalling out:
"Keep on."

The war-path is true and straight,
It knoweth no left or right;
Mars loves not the man who would deviate, --
For the way to fight is to fight.





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