Glory
Glory be to peace
H. W. Bryce
Go to war for glory
Fight the ‘glorious’ fight
But though fame may come
Fame will go and glory too
Quicker than a wink
Glory has a reputation,
Though it precedes the deed,
For glory is a situation
From which much sorrow breeds.
Best to talk things through,
Best to honour you be true,
For even your brave enemy
Is but flesh and blood right through.
Oh, Glory calls its clarion call,
It’s mighty hard to resist
Vengeance shall be ours, you cry,
And never think you should desist.
New times are now upon us,
A new man at the helm appeals,
“Let us resolve to put peace first.”
And hopes his words have seals.
He calls to end our differences,
To unite in all good will
To calm the gods of war,
And let our hearts be still.
The poet notes that glory’s laurel
Withers quicker than a rose,
But defend we must when duty calls
We do not fight for a glory pose.
Peace. Yes, it’s still a dream
But will forever be a dream
Until we put our backs to it
And work to make it so.
E. A. Housman, in his poem To an Athlete Dying Young*, wrote:
“…Smart lad, to slip betimes away
From fields where glory does not stay,
And early though the laurel grows,
It withers quicker than the rose.”
*In Tales of a Shropshire Lad
Antonio Guterres: In the first minute after taking over as U.N. chief (Secretary-General) on Sunday, Guterres issued an “Appeal for Peace.” He urged all people in the world to make a shared New Year’s resolution: “Let us resolve to put peace first.”
And so, perhaps, a thought:
Glory be to glory,
Glory is its own reward,
Let glory yet be humble:
Reserve it for your sports
