History & Politics

Blow, Bugles, Blow

by John S. McGroarty 1862–1944

From The Home Book of Verse (1912)

History & Politics

Blow, bugles, blow, soft and sweet and low,
Sing a good-night song for them who bravely faced the foe;
Sing a song of truce to pain,
Where they sleep nor wake again,
'Neath the sunshine or the rain —
Blow, bugles, blow.

Wave, banners, wave, above each hero's grave,
Fold them, O thou stainless flag that they died to save;
All thy stars with glory bright,
Bore they on through Treason's night,
Through the darkness to the light —
Wave, banners, wave.

Fall, blossoms, fall, over one and all,
They who heard their country's cry and answered to the call;
'Mid the shock of shot and shell,
Where they bled and where they fell,
They who fought so long and well —
Fall, blossoms, fall.

Sigh, breezes, sigh, so gently wandering by,
Bend above them tenderly, blue of summer sky;
All their weary marches done,
All their battles fought and won,
Friend and lover, sire and son —
Sigh, breezes, sigh.

MLA

McGroarty, John S. “Blow, Bugles, Blow.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/mcgroarty/0/.

Chicago

McGroarty, John S. “Blow, Bugles, Blow.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/mcgroarty/0/.

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