Mark Twain, Again!

With the death of the Pope, and announcement that there is NO WAY my beloved Ren Faire will open on the same site this summer as in times past, and the lack of orders in my "IN" box...I decided some light reading was in order. I glossed over Robert Service (fun, but not quite what I was after) and as I commonly do, pick up some Mark Twain. I don't know why, but his War Prayer seemed to suit my mood. (its not a comedy...be warned...) You might want to read the lead up to this "prayer"....it won't hit you so hard that way....

http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig/twain1.html

quote....
"O Lord our Father, our young patriots, idols of our hearts, go forth to battle – be Thou near them! With them, in spirit, we also go forth from the sweet peace of our beloved firesides to smite the foe. O Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their wounded, writhing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with their little children to wander unfriended the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst, sports of the sun flames of summer and the icy winds of winter, broken in spirit, worn with travail, imploring Thee for the refuge of the grave and denied it – for our sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with their tears, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet! We ask it, in the spirit of love, of Him Who is the Source of Love, and Who is ever-faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek His aid with humble and contrite hearts. Amen.