THE WARRIOR AND THE BEAST
Guerrero's dead! with radiant face he strode
Into the seething maelstrom of your hate,
And thronging thousands follow on the road
To feed or crush the beast insatiate.
For warriors die and glory in their fate
And laugh at Death—at Death the desolate.
Guerrero dead? His name is dazzling light!
For heroes slain are never heroes dead,
They live to guide their brothers in the fight,
And tyrants fear when armies thus are led.
So take those ghastly laurels from your head,
But see! Your hands are dripping, dripping red.
Guerrero lives! This man you cannot kill,
His deathless life illuminates the east,
His thousands quake your fastness on the hill;
Live on! Live on! nor stop the blood-stained feast,
A little longer live to learn at least
That Mexico wants MEN, and not a BEAST.
Chicago, Illinois,
January the 22nd, 1911
The name "Guerrero" means "warrior" in Spanish. Porfirio Diaz is remembered commonly as "la vieja bestia"—the old beast.
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