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and her triumphant return with the fall of Napoleon.
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You can see her porcelain hand gently holding the small boy
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as if to guard him from a fate she knew would come.
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I know in a time of war my
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endeavor must seem small, and perhaps it is.
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But I remain diligent and resolute in my belief
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that great works of art can never belong to any one individual.
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At least not in spirit.
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The Madonna is as much mine as it was Napoleon's.
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And her hand gently guards me from a fate I know will come.
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Father, I know I've been a great disappointment.
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In defense of the indefensible,