America
by Arlo Bates (1850-1918) |
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For O America, our country!�land
Hid in the west
through centuries, till men
Through countless tyrannies
could understand
The priceless worth of freedom,�once
again
The world was new-created when thy shore
First
knew the Pilgrim keels, that one last test
The race might
make of manhood, nor give o'er
The strife with evil till
it proved its best.
Thy true sons stand as torch-bearers,
to hold
A guiding light. Here the last stand is made.
If we fail here, what new Columbus bold,
Steering brave
prow through black seas unafraid,
Finds out a fresh land
where man may abide
And freedom yet be saved? The whole
round earth
Has seen the battle fought. Where shall men
hide
From tyranny and wrong, where life have worth,
If
here the cause succumb? If greed of gold
Or lust of power
or falsehood triumph here,
The race is lost! A globe
dispeopled, cold,
Rolled down the void a voiceless,
lifeless sphere,
Were not so stamped by all which hope
debars
As were this earth, plunging along through space
Conquered by evil, shamed among the stars,
Bearing a
base, enslaved, dishonored race!
Here has the battle its
last vantage ground;
Here all is won, or here must all be
lost,
Here freedom's trumpets one last rally sound;
Here to the breeze its blood-stained flag is tossed.
America, last hope of man and truth,
Thy name must
through all coming ages be
The badge unspeakable of shame
and ruth,
Or glorious pledge that man through truth is
free.
This is thy destiny; the choice is thine
To lead
all nations and outshine them all:
But if thou failest,
deeper shame is thine,
And none shall spare to mock thee
in thy fall. |
By Arlo Bates (1850-1918)
Listed November 11, 2012 |
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