are things among the humans
who are not merely savage as the beasts
and spiteful towards each other but also
ingenious enough
to perfect their skill in killing
Thus did they speak to us
and boundless horror
gripped our throats
and we cowered lower among the tree roots
and we were thankful
that in this bloodthirsty forest
we are not really alive
And they continued:
There is no love among men
just as there
is
no love anywhere in the real world
King Herod alone
loved you pure white babes
above everything else
and ordered you to be set free from life
only in order to spare you
its boundless sufferings
Give thanks therefore to your saviour
and if he visits you today
give him your song and cheers
And there were some among us who
called out loud
that there
is
love in life
that they could still feel it in the palms of their hands
and that King Herod
was nothing but a murderer
who should be cut up
with a chopper
and the pieces then
thrown to the beasts
