(late 1942) War and I

War and I
The warrior drums across the seas
Have rolled another war;
Embattled Britain stands at bay
Still proud above the roar,
As keel on keel the sharks of steel
Are sliding down the way,
The hawks of death in airy sleath
Are pouncing on their prey.

And once again America
Is gathering her strength
To hold the arteries of life
Across the ocean’s length;
To turn the tide, at Britain’s side,
To smash the pagan Hun,
And when the peace of battles cease
To right that which is done.

For this I must be merciless
For this I must be brave
For this I know the arts of war
For this I face the grave.

— Grady L. McMurtry, U. S. Army
[circa late 1942 e.v.]

Note: Originally published in Thelema Lodge Calendar, April 1995.