 | The poems (1923) |  |
Imilce pleads that her son may not be sacrificed.
What is this with blood to stainThe sacred temples? 'tis, alas! the main
Cause of all sin, that men are ignorant,
And do the knowledge of God's nature want.
Go, pray for what is just with frankincense,
And let the cruel rites of slaughter hence
Be banish'd; God is mild and near allied
To mortals, 'tis enough that we have dy'd
The altars with the blood of slaughter'd beasts,
Or if within the gods most cruel breasts
This wickedness is fixt; let me be slain
Who am the mother. Why would you so fain
Deprive all Lybia of this towardness?
| The poems (1923) | |