The War Prayer

By Mark Twain

 

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 the ever-faithful

refuge and friend

of all that are sore beset and seek His aid

with humble and contrite hearts.

 

AMEN.

 

Published in 1923