We go to war. Let Antennyson's word guide us.
Entry posted by treygreen13
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Half a foot, half a foot,
Half a foot onward,
All in the yard of green
Rode the six thousand.
"Forward, the Ant Brigade!
"Charge for the mound!" he said:
Into the yard of green
Rode the six thousand.
"Forward, the Ant Brigade!"
Was there an ant dismay'd?
Not tho' the soldier ants knew
The Queen had blunder'd:
Their's not to flee the fly,
Their's not to bite and ply,
Their's but to do and die:
Into the yard of green
Rode the six thousand.
Mandible to right of them,
Mandible to left of them,
Mandible in front of them
Pierce'd and torn asunder;
Storm'd at with feeler and exoskeleton,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the mound of Death,
Into the mouth of Fire
Rode the six thousand.
Flash'd all their stingers bare,
Flash'd as they sprayed formic acid in air,
Tearing at the insects there,
Charging an army, while
All the yard wonder'd:
Plunged in the entry-hole
Right thro' the mound they dove;
Soldier and Worker
Reel'd from the stinger stroke
Shatter'd and sunder'd.
Then they rode back, but not
Not the six thousand.
Mandible to right of them,
Mandible to left of them,
Mandible behind them
Pierce'd and torn asunder;
Storm'd at with feeler and exoskeleton,
While abdomen and thorax fell,
They that had stung so well
Came thro' the mound of Death
Back from the mouth of Fire,
All that was left of them,
Left of six thousand.
When can their scent trail fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the yard wondered.
Honor the charge they made,
Honor the Ant Brigade,
Noble six thousand.
Alfred Antennyson
#1823
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