My portion is defeat today

My Portion is Defeat - today -
A paler luck than Victory -
Less Paeans - fewer Bells -
The Drums dont follow Me - with tunes -
Defeat - a somewhat slower - means -
Moredifficult - Arduous than Balls -

Tis[^a1] populous with Bone and stain -
And Men too straight to bend stoop again -
And Piles of solid Moan -
And Chips of Blank - in Boyish Eyes -
Andshreds scraps of Prayer -
And Death's surprise,
Stamped visible - in stone -

[^a1: Tis | 'Tis]

There'ssomething somewhat prouder, Over there -
The Trumpets tell it to the Air -
How different Victory
To Him who has it - and the One
Who to have had it, would have been
Contenteder - to die -