Page:The Soul of a Century.djvu/48



What’s a tear? It is a splendid garnet Shining through the night with mystic light, With its glare destroying night’s deep shadows Whose oppresive fears it puts to flight.

What’s a tear? It is a cooling dew drop A hemlock’s burning leaf so oft collects, Yet this dew drop, like an ocean billow, The splendor of the skies above reflects.

What’s a tear? It is a milky path-way, A silvery light steeped in the skies’ blue flame, In its facets linger lights uncounted, Countless, timeless lights without a name.

The prophets’ never dying words That even we must die Oh yes, oh yes, we know it well, The World we can’t defy.

Whatever blooms must wither too; What grows must rot someday. Even the Earth with all its men Like a rose will fade away.

We will not grieve our beating hearts With thoughts of death’s last deed. We’ll live our life and live it well To give the world a lead.

We’ll seek the origin of worlds, The mystic force of sages, We’ll reach down to the base of time And count the flight of ages.

No mystery no unknown force Can halt our forward march, Our souls will ring in clarion tones Against the heavens’ highest arch.

We’ll die, but first we’ll steep our graves With glory for our bed, The whole wide world must come to mourn And stand with a bowed head.