Classic Poem

" Meantime, I, the Accurst, was busy!
I who firstly to the Titan
Brought the fire of human knowledge,
Love for man and scorn for godhead.

" While the poets, priests, and prophets
Libel'd me beyond believing,
Pictured me a shameless Devil
Cloven-footed and obscene,

" I was strengthening my children!
I was comforting and cheering
Many a martyr in his prison,
Pale and ready for the stake!

" Nay, my word had raised Mohammed,
Strong and true, a creed-compeller,
'Spite the foolish Christian leaven
Mingled with his nobler clay.

" From the East I brought the Arabs
With their wondrous arts of healing;
Small yet strong and cabalistic
Rose my mystic Alphabet!

" Out of fire I snatch'd the parchments
Scribbled o'er with ancient wisdom,
Pluck'd the books of Aristotle
From the cesspools of the Pope.

" While the countless priests were lying,
I was preaching and beseeching —
Crying " The eternal godhead
Helps but those who help themselves;

" " Pestilence, Disease, and Famine
Phantoms are of God's creation —
Man alone hath power to slay them,
Knowing good and knowing evil;

" " Eat, then, of the tree of knowledge
As your parents did in Eden —
Eat, and though your limbs be naked
Earth will yield you decent clothing!

" " God who knoweth, feeleth nothing,
Cannot help you! — Tho' 'tis written
Not a sparrow falls without Him,
Ne'ertheless — the sparrow falls! "

" Yea, by Hades, I was busy!
In the monasteries even,
Many a learned monk was lesson'd
By the Devil whom he dreaded;

" While the shaven head was nodding
Over parchment and papyrus,
I persuaded the good fellow
To transcribe my carnal books!

" Aye, and in their written Bibles,
Full of priestly contradictions,
I contrived to mingle deftly
Human truths with holy lies.

" True it is, indeed, I tempted
Both St. Anthony and Luther —
Proving to their consternation
Only fools despise the Flesh!

" I it was who fired the Painters,
Bade them fling upon the canvas
Holy infants and Madonnas
Warm with nakedness and love;

" I it was who made them picture
Christ the Shepherd, sweet and human,
Bright and young, with fond eyes gazing
On the rosy Magdalena!

" Thus with Life and Love and Beauty
War'd I on the side of Nature,
Knowing well that Man's salvation
Must be wrought of flesh and blood!

" Yea, and to the Priest I whisper'd:
" Rise erect, thou Beast, in manhood!
Reverence thy sex and function —
Snatch the fruits of Love and Joy!

" " He who acorns the Flesh despises
Nature's Holiest of Holies —
In the Body's Temple only
Burns that mystic lamp, the Soul! "

" I alone whom men call'd Devil,
I, who fought for Truth and Knowledge,
I, the scorn'd and fabled Serpent,
Loved the human form divine!

" " Crouch no more to gods or idols,
Crawl no more in filth and folly,
Stand erect, " I cried to mortals,
" Take your birthright, and be free!

" " What ye take not freely, boldly,
From the brimming hands of Nature,
God the Lord will never give you, —
God the Lord gives all, yet nothing! "

" Still they heark'd to their bell-wether,
Still they stumbled in the shambles,
Still they fambled with their crosses,
Dwindling back to brutes and beasts.

" Westward then I sent Columbus!
Southward then I sent Mageilan!
Starward, sunward, I, the Devil,
Turn'd Galileo's starry eyes!

" Crying, while the screech-owl Churches
Shriek'd their twenty-fold damnations,
" See and know! demand your birthright!
Search the suns and map the spheres! " "