How can you not admire an ancient race
of high-cheekboned beings in love
with books and bicycles,
with the spoken word
and the hand-written letter,
with conversation,
good food locally grown,
and better wine,
with art, and beauty,
with dignity, self-respect,
self-sufficiency, moderation,
and especially with "liberty,
equality, brotherhood"
over their grand entrances?
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