Explore "Written in Red" by Voltairine De Cleyre on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
(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.