Blackberries :: :: University of Virginia Library

Blackberries

by William Allingham

Allingham, William (1824-1889)

[epigraph]

[dedication]

[section]

[Ill folk I shun, or fight against: what can]

[The woe of the False Teacher—This]

[Shame upon those who poison youth]

To Certain Persons calling themselves “Christians.”

[If you believed, loud Sir, some decent part]

[Would'st argue upon equal terms with me?]

[“An infidel!” you shout: I have, 'tis true]

[Is it right, on a solemn day]

[O wretched man! who, while his soul is green]

[Clergy to guide poor us are given]

[In sacred reverie and sublime delight]

[The Wisest Living Mortal—Oh]

[As rafter rafter serves to prop]

[Every word your Oracle saith]

[Assuredly, God's word is true]

[Ostrichio's soul's digestion is so good]

[Peter's a madman, John agrees]

[How mysteries attract!]

[What do your dogmas? Mix dispute and doubt]

[Great Saint, how we've misused thy fame]

To a Controversialist.

[The modern plea for keeping up a Creed—]

[We don't believe it: but let it be.]

['Twere well, in sooth]

[Fain would I seek the City of Truth]

[I believe without bother]

[We hate thee, solemn Public Liar]

[Young Mother, with thy babe at rest]

[Yea, Raffael! Michael Angelo! your hands]

A Dream.

Another Dream.

[Dogmatic Christians, one and all]

[All “Christian virtues” I rejoice to greet.]

[“Art Faith's Apostle? Can'st thou save us?”—No.]

[A pseudo-religion suits most people best]

[This World is made to no man's mind]

[Remember this, Lover of truth and right]

[“If you shake these dogmas you shake morality with them.” Yea.]

[Religion—what a labyrinthine mesh!]

[The New Religion will include]

[Long time amongst the thorns I dwelt]

[section]

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To a Famous Man.

Magic is out of date: and yet one day
You wrote five lines which have had power to slay
Many (alas!) by their own desperate hands,

With bullet, poison, water, knife or rope,
And will slay thousands more in many lands.
With false authority you took away

From striving human souls all trust and hope.
False—for you are no master in these things;
The Genius guiding you is bare of wings.