A squad of regular infantry <br />In the Commune's closing days, <br />Had captured a crowd of rebels <br />By the wall of Pere-la-Chaise. <br /> <br />There were desperate men, wild women, <br />And dark-eyed Amazon girls, <br />And one little boy, with a peach-down cheek <br />And yellow clustering curls. <br /> <br />The captain seized the little waif, <br />And said, "What dost thou here?" <br />"Sapristi, Citizen captain! <br />I'm a Communist, my dear!" <br /> <br />"Very well! Then you die with the others!" <br />"Very well! That's my affair; <br />But first let me take to my mother, <br />Who lives by the wine-shop there, <br /> <br />"My father's watch. You see it; <br />A gay old thing, is it not? <br />It would please the old lady to have it, <br />Then I'll come back here, and be shot." <br /> <br />"That is the last we shall see of him," <br />The grizzled captain grinned, <br />As the little man skimmed down the hill, <br />Like a swallow down the wind. <br /> <br />For the joy of killing had lost its zest <br />In the glut of those awful days, <br />And Death writhed, gorged like a greedy snake, <br />From the Arch to Père-la-Chaise. <br /> <br />But before the last platoon had fired, <br />The child's shrill voice was heard; <br />"Houp-là! the old girl made such a row <br />I feared I should break my word." <br /> <br />Against the bullet-pitted wall <br />He took his place with the rest, <br />A button was lost from his ragged blouse, <br />Which showed his soft white breast. <br /> <br />"Now blaze away, my children! <br />With your little one-two-three!" <br />The Chassepots tore the stout young heart, <br />And saved Society.<br /><br />John Hay<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/a-triumph-of-order/
