Dreamers
by Siegfried Sassoon
Soldiers are citizens of death’s grey land,
Drawing no dividend from time’s to-morrows.
In the great hour of destiny they stand,
Each with his feuds, and jealousies, and sorrows.
Soldiers are sworn to action; they must win	5
Some flaming, fatal climax with their lives.
Soldiers are dreamers; when the guns begin
They think of firelit homes, clean beds and wives.
I see them in foul dug-outs, gnawed by rats,
And in the ruined trenches, lashed with rain,	10
Dreaming of things they did with balls and bats,
And mocked by hopeless longing to regain
Bank-holidays, and pictures shows, and spats,
And going to the office in the train.
balls and bats  — referring to cricket; Sassoon was an avid cricket player
Bank-holidays — In England, holidays on which banks are closed.  Typically, retail shops remain open, though employs generally receive extra pay for working on those days. The equivalent in the U.S. would be holidays such as Labor Day, Presidents’ Day, Martin Luther King Day, and Memorial Day.
pictures shows — movies (at this time, silent movies)