That night your great guns, unawares, br Shook all our coffins as we lay, br And broke the chancel window-squares, br We thought it was the judgement day br br And sat upright. While drearisome br Arose the howl of wakened hounds: br The mouse let fall the altar-crumb, br The worms drew back into the mounds, br br The glebe cow drooled. Till God called, "No; br It's gunnery practice out at sea br Just as before you went below; br The world is as it used to be: br br "All nations striving strong to make br Red war yet redder. Mad as hatters br They do more for Christés sake br Than you who are helpless in such matters. br br "That this is not the judgment hour br For some of them's a blessed thing, br For if it were they'd have to scour br Hells floor for so much threatening... br br "Ha, ha. It will be warmer when br I blow the trumpet (if indeed br I ever do; for you are men, br And rest eternal sorely need)." br br So down we lay again. "I wonder, br Will the world ever saner be," br Said one, "than when He sent us under br In our indifferent century!" br br And many a skeleton shook his head. br "Instead of preaching forty year," br My neighbor Oarson Thirdly said, br "I wish I had stuck to pipes and beer." br br Again the guns disturbed the hour, br Roaring their readiness to avenge, br As far inland as Stourton Tower, br And Camelot, and starlit Stonehenge.