Page:Near nature's heart; a volume of verse (IA nearnaturesheart00jack).pdf/96

 II.

And poets great have felt the need, As plain they saw the greed Of men and nations waging war, They knew not why, yet brothers all. Their voice is heard from heights afar; They tell us why the peoples rise and fall; They sang and on the hill tops wrought, While dupe and knave went down; They knew the last of Folly's battles would be fought.

III.

Obstructionists abide, alas in State, The demagogue and fool, The dullard in his school, Who far behind the generation plods, Yet at God's leader casts rough stones and clods— Wise men foresee their fate. Without insight they still refuse to follow The men inspired, high Heaven's men; Preferring far their narrow ken, To vaunt themselves, though cause of fearful sorrow. The while the great move on In God's high road, With heavy load; Becoming weary and living lone, Oft forced to suffer and to moan— At last to die! But Heaven clears away the cloud from the martyr's sky.

IV.

The race of men is a long and wondrous evolution; The patient soul who kens, and God's great goal, Is benefactor best, the man of resolution To mark and void each shoal, Like pilots good of worthy ships, Whose eyes are used far more than lips. He counter vessels must prevent, And every vexing accident, By night and day upon the deep. Men's revolutions, small or great, and why, The leader must discern and know, And records old, aye currents vital passing by, To make them rightly flow. And never was the pregnant day, nor hour, When one of such transcendent power Was needed by the race, With more than human grace. Let men in church and state be confident, He was the man of men pre-eminent.