THE BRIDGE OF YOUTH

The English dead number 9000,000

I Nine hundred thousand Englishmen have died To keep the splendid faith of all the years Sin e freedom hurled her heart against the spears !f "russia#s million in the battle tide That rolled through $sian on%uest to the &ide 'reen fields of Europe( ! eans of hot tears, )ivers of blood and nights of on%uered fears *ry to the &orld that for e forever lied( +or e and man#s faith, in battle knee to knee, ,ave striven for the mastery of earth $nd filled a thousand valleys full of graves.ut, blo&n upon the trumpets of the free The all rings through ea h ne&er age#s birth !f faith that &ins and holy truth that saves( II Nine hundred thousand graves, the bridge is made $ ross the bla k ravine of man#s despair, $ bridge of a&ful death, yet rising fair In s ulptured sa rifi e that, unafraid, /ared the red lightening and the reeking blade The ar h &ith hope of life and a&ful air( It is a bridge of death, yet every&here 0ife &alks &here death the deep foundations laid( $ ross that bridge shall happy musi run, 0ight1footed, in the golden days to be, +illing the ri h &ide future &ith a song( $ll men shall find their pla es in the sun, )eaping a harvest of land and sea( $nd hildren laugh &ith never thought of &rong( III Nine hundred thousand dead2 !h, &ide young eyes That looked upon the horror stark and old2 !f all their deeds the half has not been told( 3ho bore the &eight of our vast enterprise( !ld are the fates 4 ah, old and very &ise( !n their red ounters are the great years sold5 $nd these have paid, paid the immortal gold( !f their great youth in splendid sa rifi e(

Shall it be ounted in vain7 Nay, &hile one star 0ooks do&n from heaven upon the &orld#s fresh de& !ur hildren shall remember in the free +ull glory of better things that are ,o& these to manhood#s nobler trust &ere true 8p the steep mountain of *alvary(
/avid 9 :ee 3right N(S(3( The Bulletin ;th November 696< *opy in /93#s .urnt S rapbook