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When he who must hang breathes neither a prayer nor a curse,
Nor speaks any word, not looks around, nor does anything save to chew his bit of tobacco and yawn with unsated sleep.
They grew afraid of the hidden moon and the stars, they grew afraid of the wind that held its breath, and of the living things that never stirred in their sleep,
And they gurgled a bargain to him from under their masks.
I know what they promised to him, for I have heard thrice the bargains that hounds yelp to the trapped lion:
They asked him to promise that he would turn back from his road, that he would eat carrion as they, that he would lap the leash for the sake of the offals, as they―and thus he would save his life.
But not one lone word he answered―he only chewed his bit of tobacco in silent contempt.
Nor speaks any word, not looks around, nor does anything save to chew his bit of tobacco and yawn with unsated sleep.
They grew afraid of the hidden moon and the stars, they grew afraid of the wind that held its breath, and of the living things that never stirred in their sleep,
And they gurgled a bargain to him from under their masks.
I know what they promised to him, for I have heard thrice the bargains that hounds yelp to the trapped lion:
They asked him to promise that he would turn back from his road, that he would eat carrion as they, that he would lap the leash for the sake of the offals, as they―and thus he would save his life.
But not one lone word he answered―he only chewed his bit of tobacco in silent contempt.
IV.
Now black as their face became whatever had been white inside of the six men, even to their mothers' milk,
And they inflicted on him the final shame, and ordered that he should kiss the flag.
They always make bounden men kiss the flag in America, where men never kiss men, even when they march forth to die.
And they inflicted on him the final shame, and ordered that he should kiss the flag.
They always make bounden men kiss the flag in America, where men never kiss men, even when they march forth to die.
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