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Death Snips Proud Men

by Carl Sandburg, 1920

Death is stronger than all the governments because the governments are men and men die and then death laughs: Now you see ’em, now you don’t.

 Death is stronger than all proud men and so death snips proud men on the nose, throws a pair of dice and says: Read ’em and weep.

 Death sends a radiogram every day: When I want you I’ll drop in—and then one day he comes with a master-key and lets himself in and says: We’ll go now.

 Death is a nurse mother with big arms: ’Twon’t hurt you at all; it’s your time now; you just need a long sleep, child; what have you had anyhow better than sleep?

Published in Smoke and Steel
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