Grenville Mellen: Slaughter rides screaming on the vengeful ball

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Anti-war essays, poems, short stories and literary excerpts
American writers on peace and against war
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Grenville Mellen
“The lonely bugle grieves”
The trump hath blown,
And now upon that reeking hill
Slaughter rides screaming on the vengeful ball;
While with terrific signal shrill,
The vultures from their bloody eyries flown,            5
Hang o’er them like a pall.
Now deeper roll the maddening drums,
And the mingling host like ocean heaves;
While from the midst a horrid wailing comes,
And high above the fight the lonely bugle grieves!

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