Poems with Power to Strengthen the Soul Part 4

Better to stem with heart and hand The roaring tide of life than lie, Unmindful, on its flowery strand, Of G.o.d's occasions drifting by!

TRUTH

Truth will prevail, though men abhor The glory of its light; And wage exterminating war And put all foes to flight.

Though trodden under foot of men, Truth from the dust will spring, And from the press--the lip--the pen-- In tones of thunder ring.

Beware--beware, ye who resist The light that beams around, Lest, ere you look through error's mist, Truth strike you to the ground.

--D. C. Colesworthy.

TO A REFORMER

Nay, now, if these things that you yearn to teach Bear wisdom, in your judgment, rich and strong, Give voice to them though no man heed your speech, Since right is right though all the world _go_ wrong.

The proof that you believe what you declare Is that you still stand firm though throngs pa.s.s by; Rather cry truth a lifetime to void air Than flatter listening millions with one lie!

--Edgar Fawcett.

TEACH ME THE TRUTH

Teach me the truth, Lord, though it put to flight My cherished dreams and fondest fancy's play; Give me to know the darkness from the light, The night from day.

Teach me the truth, Lord, though my heart may break In casting out the falsehood for the true; Help me to take my shattered life and make Its actions new.

Teach me the truth, Lord, though my feet may fear The rocky path that opens out to me; Rough it may be, but let the way be clear That leads to thee.

Teach me the truth, Lord. When false creeds decay, When man-made dogmas vanish with the night, Then, Lord, on thee my darkened soul shall stay, Thou living Light.

--Frances Lockwood Green.

HEROISM

It takes great strength to train To modern service your ancestral brain; To lift the weight of the unnumbered years Of dead men's habits, methods, and ideas; To hold that back with one hand, and support With the other the weak steps of the new thought.

It takes great strength to bring your life up square With your accepted thought and hold it there; Resisting the inertia that drags back From new attempts to the old habit's track.

It is so easy to drift back, to sink; So hard to live abreast of what you think.

It takes great strength to live where you belong When other people think that you are wrong; People you love, and who love you, and whose Approval is a pleasure you would choose.

To bear this pressure and succeed at length In living your belief--well, it takes strength,

And courage, too. But what does courage mean Save strength to help you face a pain foreseen?

Courage to undertake this lifelong strain Of setting yours against your grand-sire's brain; Dangerous risk of walking lone and free Out of the easy paths that used to be, And the fierce pain of hurting those we love When love meets truth, and truth must ride above.

But the best courage man has ever shown Is daring to cut loose and think alone.

Dark are the unlit chambers of clear s.p.a.ce Where light shines back from no reflecting face.

Our sun's wide glare, our heaven's shining blue, We owe to fog and dust they fumble through; And our rich wisdom that we treasure so Shines from the thousand things that we don't know.

But to think new--it takes a courage grim As led Columbus over the world's rim.

To think it cost some courage. And to go-- Try it. It takes every power you know.

It takes great love to stir the human heart To live beyond the others and apart.

A love that is not shallow, is not small, Is not for one or two, but for them all.

Love that can wound love for its higher need; Love that can leave love, though the heart may bleed; Love that can lose love, family and friend, Yet steadfastly live, loving, to the end.

A love that asks no answer, that can live Moved by one burning, deathless force--to give.

Love, strength, and courage; courage, strength, and love.

The heroes of all time are built thereof.

--Charlotte Perkins Stetson.

TO TRUTH

O star of truth down shining Through clouds of doubt and fear, I ask but 'neath your guidance My pathway may appear.

However long the journey How hard soe'er it be, Though I be lone and weary, Lead on, I'll follow thee.

I know thy blessed radiance Can never lead astray, However ancient custom May trend some other way.

E'en if through untried deserts, Or over trackless sea, Though I be lone and weary, Lead on, I'll follow thee.

The bleeding feet of martyrs Thy toilsome road have trod.

But fires of human pa.s.sion May light the way to G.o.d.

Then, though my feet should falter, While I thy beams can see, Though I be lone and weary, Lead on, I'll follow thee.

Though loving friends forsake me, Or plead with me in tears-- Though angry foes may threaten To shake my soul with fears-- Still to my high allegiance I must not faithless be.

Through life or death, forever, Lead on, I'll follow thee.

--Minot J. Savage.

n.o.bLESSE OBLIGE

Not ours n.o.bility of this world's giving Granted by monarchs of some earthly throne; Not this life only which is worth the living, Nor honor here worth striving for alone.

Princes are we, and of a line right royal; Heirs are we of a glorious realm above; Yet bound to service humble, true, and loyal, For thus constraineth us our Monarch's love.

And looking to the joy that lies before us, The crown held out to our once fallen race; Led by the light that ever shineth o'er us, Man is restored to nature's n.o.blest place.

_n.o.blesse oblige_--(our very watchword be it!) To raise the fallen from this low estate, To boldly combat wrong whene'er we see it, To render good for evil, love for hate.

_n.o.blesse oblige_--to deeds of valiant daring In alien lands which other lords obey, And into farthest climes our standard bearing, To lead them captive 'neath our Master's sway.

_n.o.blesse oblige_--that, grudging not our treasure, Nor seeking any portion to withhold, We freely give it, without stint or measure, Whate'er it be--our talents, time, or gold.

_n.o.blesse oblige_--that, looking upward ever, We serve our King with courage, faith, and love, Till, through that grace which can from death deliver, We claim our n.o.ble heritage above!