Music by The Refusers

Monday, December 19, 2011

And They Obey - A Poem by Carl Sandburg


 Or will we obey acts of tyranny?

AND THEY OBEY

SMASH down the cities.
Knock the walls to pieces.
Break the factories and cathedrals, warehouses
and homes
Into loose piles of stone and lumber and black
burnt wood:
You are the soldiers and we command you.


Build up the cities.
Set up the walls again.
Put together once more the factories and cathedrals,
warehouses and homes
Into buildings for life and labor:
You are workmen and citizens all: We
command you.


Carl Sandburg
1878 - 1967

Source:
http://carl-sandburg.com/POEMS.htm

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I never knew this poem before. Thanks for sharing it.

Stranger in a Strange Land said...

You are so very welcome. Glad that you liked it.

Mike