HERE our murdered brother lies -- Wake him not with women's cries; Mourn the way that manhood ought; Sit in silent trance of thought. Write his merits on your mind -- Morals pure and manners kind; In his head, as on a hill, Virtue placed her citadel. Why cut off in palmy youth? Truth he spoke, and acted truth -- Countrymen, 'Unite!' he cried, And died -- for what his Saviour died. God of Peace, and God of Love, Let it not thy vengeance move! Let it not thy lightnings draw -- A Nation guillotin'd by law! Hapless nation! rent and torn, Thou wert early taught to mourn, Warfare of six hundred years -- Epochs marked with blood and tears! Hunted thro' thy native grounds, Or flung reward to human hounds; Each one pull'd and tore his share, Heedless of thy deep despair. Hapless Nation -- hapless Land, Heap of uncementing sand! Crumbled by a foreign weight, And, by worse, domestic hate. God of Mercy! God of Peace! Make the mad confusion cease; O'er the mental chaos move, Through it speak the light of love. Monstrous and unhappy sight, Brothers' blood will not unite; Holy oil and holy water, Mix, and fill the world with slaughter. Who is she with aspect wild? The widow'd mother with her child -- Child new stirring in the womb! Husband waiting for the tomb! Angel of this sacred place, Calm her soul and whisper peace, Cord, or axe, or guillotin' Make the sentence -- not the sin. Here we watch our brother's sleep; Watch with us, but do not weep; Watch with us thro' dead of night, But expect the morning light. conquer fortune -- persevere! -- Lo! it breaks, the morning clear! The cheerful cock awakes the skies, The day is come -- arise! -- arise! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...RIDDLE ON THE LETTER H (2) by CATHERINE MARIA FANSHAWE ANOTHER GRACE FOR A CHILD by ROBERT HERRICK LADY GERALDINE'S COURTSHIP by ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING A PRETTY WOMAN by ROBERT BROWNING A DAY-DREAM by WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT TOWARDS DEMOCRACY: PART 4. THE CENTRAL CALM by EDWARD CARPENTER |