-
All I have is a voice
-
To undo the folded lie,
-
The romantic lie in the brain
-
Of the sensual man-in-the-street
-
And the lie of Authority
-
Whose buildings grope the sky:
-
There is no such thing as the State
-
And no one exists alone;
-
Hunger allows no choice
-
To the citizen or the police;
-
We must love one another or die. {:.poetry}
-
Defenseless under the night
-
Our world in stupor lies;
-
Yet, dotted everywhere,
-
Ironic points of light
-
Flash out wherever the Just
-
Exchange their messages:
-
May I, composed like them
-
Of Eros and of dust,
-
Beleaguered by the same
-
Negation and despair,
-
Show an affirming flame. {:.poetry}
From “September 1, 1939” by W.H. Auden