Read "The White Cliffs" by Alice Duer Miller online for free on Textopian. Full text with search, annotations, highlights, and AI-powered reading aids.
What could I do, but ache and long That my country, peaceful, rich, and strong, Should come and do battle for England's sake. What could I do, but long and ache. And my father's letters I hid away Lest some one should know the things he'd say. "You ask me whether we're coming in-- We are. The English are clever as sin, Silently, subtly they inspire Most of our youth with a holy fire To shed their blood for the British Empire. We'll come in--we'll fight and die Humbly to help them, and by and by, England will do us in the eye. They'll get colonies, gold and fame, And we'll get nothing at all but blame. Blame for not having come before, Blame for not having sent them more Money and men and war supplies, Blame if we venture to criticize. We're so damn simple--our skins so thin We'll get nothing whatever, but we'll come in."