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Samson agonistes


I began reading Milton, and thought him over-long.

They say that Dagon has me in his hands -
mere women have deceived me once again.
And so I serve a slave in foreign lands,
treated as though a beast by angry men.
She took away my hair; they gouged my eyes,
then bound with bronze they shackled me to grind,
rememb'ring every day one woman's lies -
her hated face the picture in my mind.
They make me dance; delighted to be cruel
as long as they are safely out of reach;
they make me do them service like a mule -
but God, allow me one last chance to teach
these people who it was made Samson strong,
let them begin to sing another song
crying to idols, cause of all their crime -
if I can ride your lightning one last time.


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