Poetry: A Magazine of Verse
Ruffle the skirts of prudes,
speak of their knees and ankles.
But, above all, go to practical people—
go! jangle their door-bells!
Say that you do no work
and that you will live forever.
Pax Saturni
Once . . . the round world brimmed with hate,
. . . . . . . . . . and the strong
Harried the weak. Long past, long past, praise God
In these fair, peaceful, happy days.
A Contemporary
O smooth flatterers, go over sea,
go to my country;
Tell her she is "Mighty among the nations"—
do it rhetorically!
Say there are no oppressions,
Say it is a time of peace,
Say that labor is pleasant,
Say there are no oppressions,
Speak of the American virtues:
And you will not lack your reward.
Say that the keepers of shops pay a fair wage to the women:
Say that all men are honest and desirous of good above all things:
You will not lack your reward.
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