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A Father in Time of War Lyrics by Stephen Spender

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1.
On a winter night I took her to the hospital.
Lying in bed, she clasped my hand
In her two hands. I watched the smile
Float on her pain-torn happy face -
Light stretched on the surface of a well
At the bottom of which, hidden from sight,
Curled a minute human phantom.
II.
Next morning, I went to hospital
On a bus that drove through streets
Unwinding back to the First Day.
A solitary street cleaner
Hosed water over hopeless rubble.
In front of her charred and splintered door
A woman scrubbed
A doorstep whiter than her hair.
A ladder lifted up into the air
Arms that bore a minute human phantom.
III.
Now we watch him lying in the grass
In the garden. His eyes
See branches sway. Birds fly forward
Against the backwards-flying clouds
Brushing yellow flowers, green leaves, his eyes
Pout like his mouth across her breast:
Voluptuous wondering, drinking in
The busy spinning tilting upsidedown
Flags of the world newborn.
Credits
Stephen Spender

Stephen Spender

About “A Father in Time of War” by Stephen Spender

Read the complete lyrics to "A Father in Time of War" by Stephen Spender. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Non-Music.

"A Father in Time of War" is performed by Stephen Spender. This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "A Father in Time of War", explore more songs by Stephen Spender using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"A Father in Time of War" is credited to Stephen Spender. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

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