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Sat 5 Apr, 2003 06:37 pm
This poem is reprinted from a site that logged it online in 1995 in full context from an unpublished work by Mark Twain. Here is the text, but more importantly, read the poem and then read the full context - fascinating and timely! Deja vue -
Quote:O Lord our Father,
our young patriots, idols of our hearts, go forth to battle -- be Thou near them! With them ? in spirit ? we also go forth from the sweet peace of our beloved firesides to smite the foe. O Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their wounded, writhing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with
little children to wander unfriended the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst, sports of the sun flames of summer and the icy winds of winter, broken in
spirit, worn with travail, imploring Thee for the refuge of the grave and denied it -- for our sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with their tears, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet! We ask it, in the spirit of love, of Him Who is the Source of Love, and Who is the ever-faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek His aid with humble and contrite hearts. Amen.
Mark Twain,
(Thanks to Doc Searls, in his weblog, Sept. 13, 2001)
http://doc.weblogs.com/2001/09/13#whatTaleAreWeSpinning
This page includes a transcript called "The Fairy Tale of A Just War".
Abuzz thread link from cobaltThe War Prayer, Twain - in contextThe Fairy Tale of a Just War
Gosh Cobalt, that gave me the shivers!
Very passionate & angry (or sad, maybe?)
It so aptly reflects the current situation, as presented to us by spin doctors & patriots who believe that OUR side is always right .... So God must be supporting the cause, too!
I'm not nearly as familiar with Twain's writing as most Americans would be. But it intrigues me is that something written long ago seems so "contemporary" & relevant to us now. I must find more of his work!
Cobalt
Have quickly checked out the Doc Searls website. Very interesting! Have saved it, for when I can find time for a more thorough read.
Now I'm not only intrigued about finding out more about Mark Twain, but also Doc Searls!
I have always loved to think of that poem when people speak of their god being with them in war.
Especially ironic when it is two sides with the same god.
Love that Mark Twain.
Thanks dlowan and Ms O for posting here! I had a thought - wouldn't it be loverly if this prayer was printed daily in our local newspapers. In fact, if I had the money, I'd have to seriously think about paying for a small box ad of this quote to run everyso often. I wonder how many folks would have a clue as to the author and when the piece was written.
This may be of note only to Americans of a certain age, but read on. Remember when parts of the US Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights were printed but the attribution was left off? Folks "on the street" were asked if they believed in what was written. So very many people identified the sentiments as Communist! Interesting then, and now I think the same experiments would definitely be even more shocking in the result.
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