“Folly is for mortals a self-chosen misfortune.” – Menander, Fragments

 

In breaking of believe in human good;   

In slavedom of mankind to the machine; 

In havoc of hideous tyranny withstood, 

And terror of atomic doom foreseen 

Deliver us from ourselves.

Chained to the wheel of progress uncontrolled;

World masters with a foolish frightened face;

Loud speakers, leaderless and skeptic-souled;

Aeroplane-angels, crashed from glory and grace;

Deliver us from ourselves.

In blood and bone contentiousness of nations,

And commerce’s competitive re-start,

Armed with our marvelous monkey innovations,

And unregenerate still in head and heart;

Deliver us from ourselves.

- Siegfried Sassoon