[{"node":{"title":"Hewitt002","Collections":"A Little People","Contributor":"John Hewitt Estate","Coverage":"1986","Creator":"Linen Hall Library","Date":"Wednesday, March 16, 2016","Format":"TIFF","Identifier":"Hewitt002","Item Description":"Manuscript","Keywords":"Nationhood, Language","Language":"English","Path":"https://www.niliteraryarchive.com/content/hewitt002","Publisher":"Linen Hall Library","Relation":"Linen Hall Library","Rights":"Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SA","Scanned image":{"src":"https://www.niliteraryarchive.com/sites/default/files/Hewitt002_0.jpg","alt":""},"Source":"LHL Archive","Transcript":"Those happier decades we were dominant,\nbut now that mastery has flaked away\nthose trades and crafts which fed us have grown scant;\ntoo many waken to a workless day.\nSo some would pray our shrunken empire hold\nus closer to her flank beside the throne\nand others, rasher, summon us to fold\nour thin cloak round us close and stand alone.\n\nAmong that other tribe a myth-crazed clan\noathbound to serve their omen of nationhood,\ncower in their covens secretly to plan\ntheir future's chart in scrawls of tears and blood.\nHence sorely challenged by their doubts and fears,\nour public men spin out and skein of words\nwhich lashing towards disaster's shores appears\na storm of hissing snakes and croaking birds. \n\nFrom this fraught language \u2013 as sure consequence\nsparks fall like tinder on the gaping streets\nwhere baffled wits ignite to violence\nas frightened face its mirror image meets.\nA certain way to boost our enemies\nor cut the friendship off which friends we had;\nThat ancient Greek philosopher was wise\nwhom the gods would destroy they first make mad\n","Type":"Text"}}]