"Beauty is dominion without protection."
— Carneades, 2nd century BCE.


Beauty stands with no protection,
Trampled under filth and lies.
****** hands, in cruel procession,
Tighten chains as years go by.

Tender buds will never blossom,
Ripped away before they bloom.
Every sprout is crushed with caution,
Feeding roots of endless gloom.

All must perish, all must wither—
Anything that shames the Night.
Let the vermin reign together,
Drowning beauty out of sight.