Inspired by ‘Mourn Not the Dead’ by Ralph Chaplin
Grieve not the innocent who lie
In cobbled cells,
Awaiting execution.
Grieve not the liar’s wretched conscience
Which oft in moonlight frets,
Too black for absolution.
But grieve the meek and placid,
Who never faced the enemy with strife,
Who never blocked the plight of evil
And drifted passively, without conviction,
Through this life.
Maxim Bishev is a writer, podcaster, and teaching associate in philosophy, with a Master of Bioethics from Monash University, where he has taught bioethics and logic while publishing and pursuing PhD studies.