Rilla , I tell you I saw him -- it was no fancy -- no illusion . I heard his music , and then -- he was gone . But I had seen him -- and I knew what it meant -- I knew that I was among those who followed him . `` Rilla , the Piper will pipe me ` west ' tomorrow . I feel sure of this . And Rilla , I 'm not afraid . When you hear the news , remember that . I 've won my own freedom here -- freedom from all fear . I shall never be afraid of anything again -- not of death -- nor of life , if after all , I am to go on living . And life , I think , would be the harder of the two to face -- for it could never be beautiful for me again . There would always be such horrible things to remember -- things that would make life ugly and painful always for me . I could never forget them . But whether it 's life or death , I 'm not afraid , Rilla-my-Rilla , and I am not sorry that I came . I 'm satisfied . I 'll never write the poems I once dreamed of writing -- but I 've helped to make Canada safe for the poets of the future -- for the workers of the future -- ay , and the dreamers , too -- for if no man dreams , there will be nothing for the workers to fulfil -- the future , not of Canada only but of the world -- when the ` red rain ' of Langemarck and Verdun shall have brought forth a golden harvest -- not in a year or two , as some foolishly think , but a generation later , when the seed sown now shall have had time to germinate and grow . Yes , I 'm glad I came , Rilla . It is n't only the fate of the little sea-born island I love that is in the balance -- nor of Canada nor of England . It 's the fate of mankind . That is what we 're fighting for . And we shall win -- never for a moment doubt that , Rilla .
For it is n't only the XXXXX who are fighting -- the dead are fighting too .
anything death fear life living man news nothing seed tomorrow