Sunday War Poet..

A Carol from Flanders

by

Frederick Niven

1878 - 1944

In Flanders on the Christmas morn

The trenched foemen lay,

the German and the Briton born,

And it was Christmas Day.

The red sun rose on fields accurst,

The gray fog fled away;

But neither cared to fire the first,

For it was Christmas Day!

They called from each to each across

The hideous disarray,

For terrible has been their loss:

"Oh, this is Christmas Day!"

Their rifles all they set aside,

One impulse to obey;

'Twas just the men on either side,

Just men — and Christmas Day.

They dug the graves for all their dead

And over them did pray:

And Englishmen and Germans said:

"How strange a Christmas Day!"

Between the trenches then they met,

Shook hands, and e'en did play

At games on which their hearts were set

On happy Christmas Day.

Not all the emperors and kings,

Financiers and they

Who rule us could prevent these things —

For it was Christmas Day.

Oh ye who read this truthful rime

From Flanders, kneel and say:

God speed the time when every day

Shall be as Christmas Day.

Frederick Niven was a writer and journalist.

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