136. The Debt Unpayable by F. W. Bourdillon. Clarke, George Herbert, ed. 1917. A Treasury of War Poetry

George Herbert Clarke, ed. (1873–1953). A Treasury of War Poetry. 1917.

136. The Debt Unpayable

By F. W. Bourdillon


WHAT have I given,
Bold sailor on the sea,
In earth or heaven,
That you should die for me?

What can I give,	5
O soldier, leal and brave,
Long as I live,
To pay the life you gave?

What tithe or part
Can I return to thee,	10
O stricken heart,
That thou shouldst break for me?

The wind of Death
For you has slain life’s flowers,
It withereth	15
(God grant) all weeds in ours.