Page:Canadian poems of the great war.djvu/76

 Katherine Hale

Katherine Hale is the pen-name of Mrs John W. Garvin of Toronto, author of Grey Knitting and Other Poems, The White Comrade and Other Poems, The New Joan and Other Poems, etc. She was born and brought up in Gait, Ontario, the eldest daughter of Mr and Mrs James Warnpck. She has attained dis tinction in literary and music criticism, poetry, short stones, essays, and in literary and song recitals. Her poem, Grey Knit ting, has been widely copied, and is included in several antholo gies.

THE AWAKENING

HOW like a giant stretching in the sun, We have slept through the ages ; even we Whom the gods moulded for a people free, And made tremendous for the race not run.

See we have slept a magic cycle round, And in the dream we have imagined much ; Felt the soft wings of years we did not touch, Dallied with somnolence that deadens sound.

With untried strength what we have done is done. The wandering, drowsy brain has vaguely stirred, As though from out infinitude it heard A great voice speaking from behind the sun.

Closer and clear the calling, strangely loud, And the great country, rousing from long sleep Murmurs to its own soul, as deep to deep Beckons a day s new dawn, so sure and proud.

These were the visions of a passing night, Visions now caught in bugle notes of flame, And lo, through storms of war we hear our name Called by an angel, terrible and bright!

�� �