Public-domain source text

Written⁠—in⁠—Red<a href="endnotes.xhtml#note-2" id="noteref-2" epub:type="noteref">2</a>

by Voltairine de Cleyre

From Standard Ebooks · standardebooks/voltairine-de-cleyre_poetry

(To Our Living Dead in Mexico’s Struggle.)
Written in red their protest stands, For the Gods of the World to see; On the dooming wall their bodiless hands Have blazoned “Upharsin,” and flaring brands Illumine the message: “Seize the lands! Open the prisons and make men free!” Flame out the living words of the dead Written⁠—in⁠—red.
Gods of the World! Their mouths are dumb! Your guns have spoken and they are dust. But the shrouded Living, whose hearts were numb, Have felt the beat of a wakening drum Within them sounding⁠—the Dead Men’s tongue⁠— Calling: “Smite off the ancient rust!” Have beheld “Resurrexit,” the word of the Dead, Written⁠—in⁠—red.
Bear it aloft, O roaring flame! Skyward aloft, where all may see. Slaves of the World! Our cause is the same; One is the immemorial shame; One is the struggle, and in One name⁠— Manhood ⁠—we battle to set men free. “Uncurse us the Land!” burn the words of the Dead, Written⁠—in⁠—red.

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