Prose & Poetry - The Muse in Arms - Love of Life
Updated - Sunday, 20 April, 2003

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!

In Gallipoli a "cricket ball" was the name given to a particular type of Turkish hand grenade.  Sometimes such grenades could be picked up and hurled back over to Turkish lines, such was often the length of the fuse attached.

Original Material © Michael Duffy 2000-07, SafeSurf Rated