BLACK AND WHITE

BLACK AND WHITE

I was like the childWho believed there wasA Santa ClausBut had never seen him,OnlyI have seen another worldAnd know it exists.I used to think thatThere was only one world—A world ofMudAnd bursting shellsWhich killed and woundedMe and my pals;A world ofHizzing bulletsAnd mustard gas,And cold, sleepless nights,And no food for days,And Huns who cried“Kamerad!”(When their ammunition was gone),And filthy clothes,And cootiesAnd cootiesAnd cooties.But now I know that there is alsoA world of—Clean sheets and pajamas,And good foodAnd plenty of it,And kind, gentle womenIn whiteWho give you cocoa and soup,And doctors who give you more than“C.C.” pills,And peaceful daysWithout a single shell,And peaceful nights,And officers who wear white collarsAnd have only heard of cooties,And visitors who sit on your bedAnd murmur “How thrilling,”And street cars and taxis,And buildings withoutA single shell hole in them,And everythingI only dreamed of before.Gosh! but it’s a wonderful war—BACK HERE.Harv.

I was like the childWho believed there wasA Santa ClausBut had never seen him,OnlyI have seen another worldAnd know it exists.I used to think thatThere was only one world—A world ofMudAnd bursting shellsWhich killed and woundedMe and my pals;A world ofHizzing bulletsAnd mustard gas,And cold, sleepless nights,And no food for days,And Huns who cried“Kamerad!”(When their ammunition was gone),And filthy clothes,And cootiesAnd cootiesAnd cooties.But now I know that there is alsoA world of—Clean sheets and pajamas,And good foodAnd plenty of it,And kind, gentle womenIn whiteWho give you cocoa and soup,And doctors who give you more than“C.C.” pills,And peaceful daysWithout a single shell,And peaceful nights,And officers who wear white collarsAnd have only heard of cooties,And visitors who sit on your bedAnd murmur “How thrilling,”And street cars and taxis,And buildings withoutA single shell hole in them,And everythingI only dreamed of before.Gosh! but it’s a wonderful war—BACK HERE.Harv.

I was like the childWho believed there wasA Santa ClausBut had never seen him,OnlyI have seen another worldAnd know it exists.

I was like the child

Who believed there was

A Santa Claus

But had never seen him,

Only

I have seen another world

And know it exists.

I used to think thatThere was only one world—A world ofMudAnd bursting shellsWhich killed and woundedMe and my pals;A world ofHizzing bulletsAnd mustard gas,And cold, sleepless nights,And no food for days,And Huns who cried“Kamerad!”(When their ammunition was gone),And filthy clothes,And cootiesAnd cootiesAnd cooties.

I used to think that

There was only one world—

A world of

Mud

And bursting shells

Which killed and wounded

Me and my pals;

A world of

Hizzing bullets

And mustard gas,

And cold, sleepless nights,

And no food for days,

And Huns who cried

“Kamerad!”

(When their ammunition was gone),

And filthy clothes,

And cooties

And cooties

And cooties.

But now I know that there is alsoA world of—Clean sheets and pajamas,And good foodAnd plenty of it,And kind, gentle womenIn whiteWho give you cocoa and soup,And doctors who give you more than“C.C.” pills,And peaceful daysWithout a single shell,And peaceful nights,And officers who wear white collarsAnd have only heard of cooties,And visitors who sit on your bedAnd murmur “How thrilling,”And street cars and taxis,And buildings withoutA single shell hole in them,And everythingI only dreamed of before.Gosh! but it’s a wonderful war—BACK HERE.Harv.

But now I know that there is also

A world of—

Clean sheets and pajamas,

And good food

And plenty of it,

And kind, gentle women

In white

Who give you cocoa and soup,

And doctors who give you more than

“C.C.” pills,

And peaceful days

Without a single shell,

And peaceful nights,

And officers who wear white collars

And have only heard of cooties,

And visitors who sit on your bed

And murmur “How thrilling,”

And street cars and taxis,

And buildings without

A single shell hole in them,

And everything

I only dreamed of before.

Gosh! but it’s a wonderful war—

BACK HERE.

Harv.


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