The Man He Killed
by Thomas Hardy
"Had he and I but met
By some old ancient inn,
We should have sat us down to wet
Right many a nipperkin!1
"But ranged 2 as infantry,3
And staring face to face,
I shot at him as he at me,
And killed him in his place.
"I shot him dead because--
Because he was my foe4,
Just so: my foe of course he was;
That's clear enough; although
"He thought he'd 'list5, perhaps,
Off-hand like--just as I--
Was out of work--had sold his traps--
No other reason why.
"Yes; quaint6 and curious war is!
You shoot a fellow7 down
You'd treat8 if met where any bar is,
Or help to half-a-crown9."
If we had met in some bar, we would have been friends and drank together, but because we are soldiers, we try to kill each other. I shot him because he was the enemy. He joined the army because, like me, he had no work. How strange war is: We fight and kill men that we would sit and buy a drink in the bar with, or help him if he needed money.