Page:Canadian poems of the great war.djvu/87

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S. Frances Harrison

Let her look beyond Arabia, where the soul of India charms,
Jewelled Rajah, praying Dervish, rose upon the call to arms;
With us paced our faithful brothers from the land of palm and teak,
Stately Hindoo, sinewy Sepoy, dusky Gurkha, subtle Sikh.

Not alone she treads the Valley, not alone she lifts the sword,
Kith and kin are marching with her as they face the foreign horde,
But the enemy is wary; in the North Sea lurk his ships—
'Hide the lantern; draw your shutters; put away your
penny dips.

For the sake of wives and children and the little fishing smack,'
Let the lighthouse veil its glory, let the coming night be black,'
'Courage matched with courage truly has been long the British way,'
Match the Teuton now in cunning—caution yet may save the day?'

Lights are out from Shields to Whitby, and there burn no bonfires red
High on Cromer or on Saltfleet or on bold Flamborough Head;
Deal and Walmer, Sutton, Yarmouth, shine no longer on the deep,
England's shores are grimly guarded, gravely sentinelled to sleep.

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