The Bishop tells us: ‘When the boys come back
‘They will not be the same; for they’ll have fought
‘In a just cause: they lead the last attack
‘On Anti-Christ; their comrades’ blood has bought
‘New right to breed an honourable race,
‘They have challenged Death and dared him face to face.’
‘We’re none of us the same!’ the boys reply.
‘For George lost both his legs; and Bill’s stone blind;
‘Poor Jim’s shot through the lungs and like to die;
‘And Bert’s gone syphilitic: you’ll not find
‘A chap who’s served that hasn’t found some change.
‘And the Bishop said: ‘The ways of God are strange!’
Copyright Siegfried Sassoon by kind permission of the Estate of George Sassoon.
About the poem
Following Siegfried's normal theme, 'They' satirically contrasts the moral improvement promised to British by a Bishop with the physical damage and moral degradation they actually experience.
The bishop represents the church and government, as they know nothing about the facts of what happens to the boys yet promise all under the sun.
A selection of these poems are extracted from The Penguin Book of WW1 Poetry, £8.99 Penguin
See all the poems as we publish them this week at mirror.co.uk/forthefallen
Commemorative poetry supplement inside the Sunday Mirror
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