{
 "id": "ambrose-bierce/the-day-of-wrath",
 "title": "The Day of Wrath",
 "ordinal": null,
 "subtitle": null,
 "poet": "Ambrose Bierce",
 "poet_slug": "ambrose-bierce",
 "language": "en",
 "book": "Shapes of Clay",
 "book_slug": "shapes-of-clay",
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 "sequence": 191,
 "container": "Dies Irae",
 "epigraph": null,
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  "year": 1903,
  "venue": "Shapes of Clay (1903)",
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   {
    "text": "Day of Satan’s painful duty!",
    "indent": 4
   },
   {
    "text": "Earth shall vanish, hot and sooty;",
    "indent": 4
   },
   {
    "text": "So says Virtue, so says Beauty.",
    "indent": 4
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Ah! what terror shall be shaping",
    "indent": 3
   },
   {
    "text": "When the Judge the truth’s undraping⁠—",
    "indent": 3
   },
   {
    "text": "Cats from every bag escaping!",
    "indent": 4
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Now the trumpet’s invocation",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Calls the dead to condemnation;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "All receive an invitation.",
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   }
  ],
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   {
    "text": "Death and Nature now are quaking,",
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   },
   {
    "text": "And the late lamented, waking,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "In their breezy shrouds are shaking.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Lo! the Ledger’s leaves are stirring,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And the Clerk, to them referring,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Makes it awkward for the erring.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "When the Judge appears in session,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "We shall all attend confession,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Loudly preaching non-suppression.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "How shall I then make romances",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Mitigating circumstances?",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Even the just must take their chances.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "King whose majesty amazes,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Save thou him who sings thy praises;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Fountain, quench my private blazes.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Pray remember, sacred Savior,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Mine the playful hand that gave your",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Death-blow. Pardon such behavior.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Seeking me, fatigue assailed thee,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Calvary’s outlook naught availed thee;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Now ’twere cruel if I failed thee.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Righteous judge and learnèd brother,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Pray thy prejudices smother",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Ere we meet to try each other.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Sighs of guilt my conscience gushes,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And my face vermilion flushes;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Spare me for my pretty blushes.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Thief and harlot, when repenting,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Thou forgavest⁠—complimenting",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Me with sign of like relenting.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "If too bold is my petition",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "I’ll receive with due submission",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "My dismissal⁠—from perdition.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "When thy sheep thou hast selected",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "From the goats, may I, respected,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Stand amongst them undetected.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "When offenders are indicted,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And with trial-flames ignited,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Elsewhere I’ll attend if cited.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Ashen-hearted, prone, and prayerful,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "When of death I see the air full,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Lest I perish too, be careful.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "On that day of lamentation,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "When, to enjoy the conflagration,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Men come forth, O, be not cruel:",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Spare me, Lord⁠—make them thy fuel.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ]
 ]
}