My Portion is Defeat---today---
A paler luck than Victory---
Less Paeans---fewer Bells---
The Drums don't follow Me---with tunes--
Defeat---a +somewhat slower---means---
More +Arduous than Balls---
---
'Tis populous with Bone and stain---
And Men too straight to +stoop again,
And Piles of solid Moan---
And Chips of Blank---in Boyish Eyes---
And +scraps of Prayer---
And Death's surprise,
Stamped visible---in Stone---
---
There's +somewhat prouder, over there---
The Trumpets tell it to the Air---
How different Victory
To Him who has it---and the One
Who to have had it, would have been
Contenteder---to die---
---
+Something dumber +difficult-- +bend +shreds +something
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