Michael Villiers, Idealist And Other Poems. By E. H. Hickey |
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| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. | VII |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
| XII. |
| XIII. |
| XIV. |
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 | Michael Villiers, Idealist |  |
46
VII
‘The world has grown too wise for patriotism!’
Said a young beardless, narrow-shouldered man,
Bred on a lustre or two of narrow thought
Which deemed itself the broadest of the day:
He called himself a cosmopolitan.
Said a young beardless, narrow-shouldered man,
Bred on a lustre or two of narrow thought
Which deemed itself the broadest of the day:
He called himself a cosmopolitan.
And Michael Villiers smiled, and answered him;
‘Perhaps! then let us be behind our time;
A whit more foolish than our fellows are;
And love the land that bore us best of all!’
‘Perhaps! then let us be behind our time;
A whit more foolish than our fellows are;
And love the land that bore us best of all!’
What do we owe our country,
O brothers, say?
To turn our backs upon her
In scorn; or pay
The easy and empty homage
Of lips to-day?
O brothers, say?
To turn our backs upon her
In scorn; or pay
The easy and empty homage
Of lips to-day?
47
‘What do we owe the country
That gave us breath?
To watch her struggling sorely
For life, for death,
Nor give her the quickening comfort
That comforteth?
That gave us breath?
To watch her struggling sorely
For life, for death,
Nor give her the quickening comfort
That comforteth?
‘Our mother-land that bare us,
Her face is set
Steadfastly toward the winning
Of freedom yet;
Her heart is strong, though her eyelids
With tears be wet.
Her face is set
Steadfastly toward the winning
Of freedom yet;
Her heart is strong, though her eyelids
With tears be wet.
‘The highest gift is freedom,
And holiest too;
Who claims that a slave be noble,
A serf be true?
Who asks of the fettered bondman
To dare and do?
And holiest too;
Who claims that a slave be noble,
A serf be true?
Who asks of the fettered bondman
To dare and do?
‘Freedom to work for the people
Whose kin we are;
Freedom to be lawmakers
To make, not mar;
Freedom to be lawkeepers,
With never a bar.
Whose kin we are;
Freedom to be lawmakers
To make, not mar;
Freedom to be lawkeepers,
With never a bar.
48
‘What is a sect or a party
To those who love?
Let us take hands, O brothers,
And surely prove
True hearts, mankind's and country's,
Nothing shall move.
To those who love?
Let us take hands, O brothers,
And surely prove
True hearts, mankind's and country's,
Nothing shall move.
‘Each of us servant of others,
Servant of all;
So shall he be for ever
Nor slave nor thrall;
So shall no force o'ercome him,
Whate'er befall.
Servant of all;
So shall he be for ever
Nor slave nor thrall;
So shall no force o'ercome him,
Whate'er befall.
‘On, together, together,
By one love bound;
On through the sea and the desert,
To holy ground
Where the light that slays the darkness
For aye is found.’
By one love bound;
On through the sea and the desert,
To holy ground
Where the light that slays the darkness
For aye is found.’
| Michael Villiers, Idealist | |