History & Politics
To the Defilers
From Poems 1908-1919
History & Politics
Go, thieves, and take your riches, creep
To corners out of honest sight;
We shall not be so poor to keep
One thought of envy or despite.
But know that in sad surety when
Your sullen will betrays this earth
To sorrows of contagion, then
Beelzebub renews his birth.
When you defile the pleasant streams
And the wild bird’s abiding-place,
You massacre a million dreams
And cast your spittle in God’s face.
Cite this poem
MLA
Drinkwater, John. “To the Defilers.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/drinkwater/18/.
Chicago
Drinkwater, John. “To the Defilers.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/drinkwater/18/.
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