Rhymes of a Red Cross Man

<p><SPAN name="link2H_4_0032" id="link2H_4_0032"></SPAN></p> <br/> <h2> A Pot of Tea </h2> <p>You make it in your mess-tin by the brazier's rosy gleam;<br/> You watch it cloud, then settle amber clear;<br/> You lift it with your bay'nit, and you sniff the fragrant steam;<br/> The very breath of it is ripe with cheer.<br/> You're awful cold and dirty, and a-cursin' of your lot;<br/> You scoff the blushin' 'alf of it, so rich and rippin' 'ot;<br/> It bucks you up like anythink, just seems to touch the spot:<br/> God bless the man that first discovered Tea!<br/> <br/> Since I came out to fight in France, which ain't the other day,<br/> I think I've drunk enough to float a barge;<br/> All kinds of fancy foreign dope, from caffy and doo lay,<br/> To rum they serves you out before a charge.<br/> In back rooms of estaminays I've gurgled pints of cham;<br/> I've swilled down mugs of cider till I've felt a bloomin' dam;<br/> But 'struth! they all ain't in it with the vintage of Assam:<br/> God bless the man that first invented Tea!<br/> <br/> I think them lazy lumps o' gods wot kips on asphodel<br/> Swigs nectar that's a flavour of Oolong;<br/> I only wish them sons o' guns a-grillin' down in 'ell<br/> Could 'ave their daily ration of Suchong.<br/> Hurrah! I'm off to battle, which is 'ell and 'eaven too;<br/> And if I don't give some poor bloke a sexton's job to do,<br/> To-night, by Fritz's campfire, won't I 'ave a gorgeous brew<br/> (For fightin' mustn't interfere with Tea).<br/> To-night we'll all be tellin' of the Boches that we slew,<br/> As we drink the giddy victory in Tea.<br/></p> <div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />