Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, INSCRIPTION FOR A CITY'S GATE OF WARRIORS, by HENRI FRANCOIS JOSEPH DE REGNIER


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

INSCRIPTION FOR A CITY'S GATE OF WARRIORS, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Fear not the shadow! Open, lofty gate
Last Line: Stains of clear blood from sandals steeped in red.
Subject(s): Cities; Death; Kisses; Lips; War; Urban Life; Dead, The


FEAR not the shadow! Open, lofty gate,
Thy door of bronze, thy door of iron straight.
Deep in a well men have cast down thy key.
Accursed thou if terror closes thee;
Sever with keen and double-edged blade
Hands that have shut thee and that have betrayed.
For under thy dark vault rank forth the feet
Of marching men who never knew retreat,
And in their midst, poised nobly as of old,
Went naked Victory with wings of gold,
And with calm wave of sword their banners led.
Upon their lips her ardent kisses bled,
And at their crimson mouths the trumpets rang
With murmur of fierce bees and copper clang!
Wild swarms of war, from hives of armor go,
Pluck from ripe flesh the flowers of death that glow,
And if ye to these native walls return,
See that upon my marble threshold burn,
When beneath Victory's wings has passed your tread,
Stains of clear blood from sandals steeped in red.





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