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Chapter 4
 	Naming of Parts
	Henry Reed

	To-day we have naming of parts. Yesterday,
	We had daily cleaning.  And to-morrow morning,
	We shall have what to do after firing.  But to-day,
	To-day we have naming of parts.  Japonica
	Glistens like coral in all of the neighboring gardens,
    	     And to-day we have naming of parts.

	This is the lower sling swivel.  And this
	Is the upper sling swivel, whose use you will see,
	When you are given your slings.  And this is the piling swivel,
	Which in your case you have not got.  The branches
	Hold in the gardens their silent, eloquent gestures,
    	     Which in our case we have not got.

	This is the safety-catch, which is always released
	With an easy flick of the thumb.  And please do not let me
	See anyone using his finger.  You can do it quite easy
	If you have any strength in your thumb.  The blossoms
	Are fragile and motionless, never letting anyone see
    	     Any of them using their finger.

	And this you can see is the bolt.  The purpose of this
	Is to open the breech, as you see.  We can slide it
	Rapidly backwards and forwards: we call this
	Easing the spring.  And rapidly backwards and forwards
	The early bees are assaulting and fumbling the flowers:
    	     They call it easing the Spring.

	They call it easing the Spring: it is perfectly easy
	If you have any strength in your thumb: like the bolt,
	And the breech, and the cocking-piece, and the point of balance,
	Which in our case we have not got; and the almond-blossom
	Silent in all of the gardens and the bees going backwards and forwards,
    	     For to-day we have naming of parts.
WWI soldiers

Infantry soldiers, Argonne, 1917.
Library of Congress Archives photo

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