Page:Poems of the Great War - Cunliffe.djvu/105

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Who shall rciuler us again The worth of all the slain ?

(As the Counter speaks, the Bearer pours out the disks on the table. The Bearer obeys the Counter.)

The Counter

Pour them out on the table here. For every button a man went out, And who shall call him back ? Clickety-clickety -clack I

One — two — three — four —

Every disk a soul ! Three score — four score — So many boys went out to war. Pick up that one that fell on the floor —

Didn't you see it roll ? That was a man a month ago. This was a man. Row upon row — Pile them in tens and count them so.

The Bearer

I have an empty sack.

It is not large. Would you have said That I could carry on my back So great an army — and all dead i*

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