Unmanifest Destiny
By Richard Hovey (1864-1900) |
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To what new fates,
my country, far
And unforeseen of foe or friend,
Beneath what unexpected star
Compelled to what unchosen
end.
Across the sea that knows no beach,
The
Admiral of Nations guides
Thy blind obedient keels to
reach
The harbor where thy future rides!
The guns
that spoke at Lexington
Knew not that God was planning
then
The trumpet word of Jefferson
To bugle forth the
rights of men.
To them that wept and cursed Bull Run,
What was it but despair and shame?
Who saw behind the
cloud the sun?
Who knew that God was in the flame?
Had not defeat upon defeat,
Disaster on disaster
come,
The slave's emancipated feet
Had never marched
behind the drum.
There is a Hand that bends our deeds
To mightier issues than we planned;
Each son that
triumphs, each that bleeds,
My country, serves It's dark
command.
I do not know beneath what sky
Nor on
what seas shall be thy fate;
I only know it shall he
high,
I only know it shall be great. |
By
Richard Hovey (1864-1900)
Listed June 25, 2013 |
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