My Portion is Defeat---today---

A paler luck than Victory---

Less Paeans---fewer Bells---

The Drums don't follow Me---with tunes--

Defeat---a +Something dumber---means---

More +difficult than Balls---

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'Tis populous with Bone and stain---

And Men too straight to +bend again,

And Piles of solid Moan---

And Chips of Blank---in Boyish Eyes---

And +shreds of Prayer---

And Death's surprise,

Stamped visible---in Stone---

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There's +something 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---

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