Reading Time: < 1 minute

Poem

The Rhine was red with humane blood,
The Danube roll’d a purple tide,
On the Euphrates Satan stood
And over Asia stretch’d his pride.

He wither’d up sweet Zion’s Hill
From every Nation of the Earth;
He wither’d up Jerusalem’s Gates
And in a dark Land gave her birth.

He wither’d up the Human Form
By laws of sacrifice for sin,
Till it became a Mortal Worm,
But O! translucent all within.

Spectre of Albion! warlike Fiend!
In clouds of blood and ruin roll’d,
I here reclaim thee as my own,
My Selfhood! Satan! arm’d in gold.

Is this thy soft Family-Love,
Thy cruel Patriarchal pride,
Planting the Family alone,
Destroying all the World beside?

A man’s worst enemies are those
Of his own house and family;
And he who makes his law a curse,
By his own law shall surely die.

In my Exchanges every Land,
Shall walk, and mine in every Land,
Mutual shall build Jerusalem,
Both heart in heart and hand in hand.

Previous Poem
The Marriage Of Heaven And Hell
Next Poem
The Shepherd