[WCUSP] Mark Twain's war poem?

[yvonne simmons]

 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,
 Burdened 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  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