John Cowper Powys: To Eugene Debs, in prison for opposing war
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Anti-war essays, poems, short stories and literary excerpts
British writers on peace and war
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John Cowper Powys
To Eugene Debs
Away with him! He utters the word “Love.”
Dark-souled incendiary, madman forlorn,
He dares to put humanity above
Discretion. Better never have been born
Than thus to have offended! Learn, good brother.
That Love and Pity are forgotten fables
Told by the drowsy years to one another
With nothing in them to supply our tables.
These are the days of hungry common sense.
Millions of men have died to bring these days;
And more must die ere these good days go hence;
For God moves still in most mysterious ways.
Ah Debs, Debs, Debs, you are out-weighed, out-priced,
These are the days of Caesar, not of Christ –
And yet – suppose – when all was done and said
There were a Resurrection from the Dead!