Alfred Noyes, The Torchbearers

We glorified wars.
Blind and bloodthirsty kings,
They advanced towards their thrones with epic music.

Why did you not glorify this most noble war?
They fought to find the light, but they helped to win it
Those who could not even dream of this victory,
Of silent explorers, of lonely pioneers
The torch of the prisoners and exiles
The war of the martyrs of truth passed down from generation to generation…