A POETRY ANTHOLOGY

 

 

        

  LESSONS OF THE WAR: NAMING OF PARTS

 

  Today we have naming of parts. Yesterday,

  We had daily cleaning. And tomorrow morning.

  We shall have what to do after firing. But today,

  Today we have naming of parts. Japonica

  Glistens like coral in all of the neighbouring gardens,

            And today we have naming of parts.

 

  This is the lower sling swivel. And this

  Is the upper sling swivel, whose use you will see,

  When you are given your slings. And this is the piling swivel,

  Which in your case you have not got. The branches

  Hold in the gardens their silent, eloquent gestures,

            Which in our case we have not got.

 

  This is the safety-catch, which is always released

  With an easy flick of the thumb. And please do not let me

  See anyone using his finger. You can do it quite easy

  If you have any strength in your thumb. The blossoms

  Are fragile and motionless, never letting anyone see

            Any of them using their finger.

 

And this you can see is the bolt. The purpose of this

  Is to open the breech, as you see. We can slide it

  Rapidly backwards and forwards: we call this

  Easing the spring. And rapidly backwards and forwards

  The early bees are assaulting and fumbling the flowers:

            They call it easing the Spring.

 

  They call it easing the Spring: it is perfectly

  If you have any strength in your thumb: like the bolt,

  And the breech, and the cocking-piece, and the point of balance,

  Which in our case we have not got; and the almond-blossom

  Silent in all of the gardens and the bees going backwards and forwards,

            For today we have naming of parts.

 

 

 

Henry Reed

Collected Poems

(Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991), p. 49

 

 

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