Prose & Poetry - The Muse in Arms - Love of Life
First published in London
in November 1917 and reprinted in February 1918 The Muse in Arms
comprised, in the words of editor E. B. Osborne:
"A collection of war poems, for the most part written in the field of action, by seamen, soldiers, and flying men who are serving, or have served, in the Great War".
Below is one of eight poems featured within the Before Action section of the collection. You can access other poems within the section via the sidebar to the right.
Love of Life
by John W. Streets
Reach out thy hands, thy
spirit's hands, to me
And pluck the youth, the magic from my heart -
Magic of dreams whose sensibility
Is plumed like the light; visions that start
Mad pressure in the blood; desire that thrills
The soul with mad delight: to yearning wed
All slothfulness of life; draw from its bed
The soul of dawn across the twilight hills.
Reach out thye hands, O spirit, till I feel
That I am fully thine; for I shall live
In the proud consciousness that thou dost give,
And if thy twilight fingers round me steal
And draw me unto death - thy votary
Am I, O Life; reach out thy hands to me!
A "gutzer" was slang for a stroke of bad luck.
- Did you know?
