W. D. Snodgrass(b. 1926)
Sonnet 3: "The child between them on the street"
T h e c h i l d b e t w e e n t h e m o n t h e street
C o m e s to a p u d d l e , lifts his f e e t
A n d h a n g s o n their h a n d s . T h e y start
A t t h e live w e i g h t a n d l u r c h t o g e t h e r ,
Recoil to swing him through the weather,
Stiffen and pull apart.
W e read o f c o l d war2 soldiers t h a t
N e v e r g a i n e d g r o u n d , gave n o n e , b u t sat
T i g h t in their chill t r e n c h e s ,
Pain seeps up from some cavity
T h r o u g h t h e r a n k e d t e e t h i n s y m p a t h y ;
T h e w h o l e j a w grinds a n d c l e n c h e s
Till s o m e t h i n g s o m e w h e r e h a s t o give.
It's b e t t e r t h e p o o r soldiers live
In s o m e o n e else's h a n d s
T h a n drop w h e r e h e l p l e s s p o w e r s fall
O n crops a n d barns, o n t o w n s w h e r e all
W i l l b u r n . A n d n o m a n s t a n d s .