Another Poem from the Mystery Poet who lived for a brief time in Waterville. This is a powerful piece as it was penned around the time we were entering WWII. I believe it is somewhat true today. Read to the end. False Prophets Cassandra was a daughter good Of King Priam of old; She was a prophetess in truth, And future truth foretold. Though truth she always did foretell, No one would her believe; False prophets they would rather seek, Though these would oft deceive. The fate of Ilium she foretold, That if would be destroyed; But then the people mocked at her, And shamefully annoyed. Then, when destruction did appear, They had no time to mock; The city was a blazing mass, And awesome was the shock. How is it now? Do those who tell The truth get treated well? Is truth well-pleasing to the ear? Has it a magic spell? Alas! condemned, mistreated, too, Truth-tellers are today; Men think the things they wish to think, And tread the wrongful way. War, threatening, marches o’er the earth; Machines of death abound; Death-dealing bombs, like meteorites, Spread wreckage all around. To this tornado-blast from Hell Men whish their sons to go; Though well they know ‘tis not our war The fires of war they blow. Our peaceful and peach-loving land, The best on earth, we see, As by the great Creator planned, The safe retreat to be, Refuses danger to avoid; Instead of urging flight Of those in danger unto us, Now tries with main and might, To cast ourselves, with hedlong haste, Into that broil and stew, Not of our making, not our war— An unwise thing to do. False prophets tell us we must win A war we did not make, Permitting slaughter of our sons— And all for mercy’s sake. H.H.Rice, 11 Union Street, Waterville, Maine.
Posted on: Sun, 07 Dec 2014 12:25:45 +0000
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