Social Commentaries
One Mood's Expression
From Shapes of Clay (1903)
See, Lord, fanatics all arrayed
For revolution!
To foil their villainous crusade
Unsheathe again the sacred blade
Of persecution.
What though through long disuse 't is grown
A trifle rusty?
'Gainst modern heresy, whose bone
Is rotten, and the flesh fly-blown,
It still is trusty.
Of sterner stuff thine ancient foes,
Unapprehensive,
Sprang forth to meet thy biting blows;
Our zealots chiefly to the nose
Assume the offensive.
Then wield the blade their necks to hack,
Nor ever spare one.
Thy crowns of martyrdom unpack,
But see that every martyr lack
The head to wear one.
Cite this poem
MLA
Bierce, Ambrose. “One Mood's Expression.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/bierce/399/.
Chicago
Bierce, Ambrose. “One Mood's Expression.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/bierce/399/.
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