The Poems of Henry Van Dyke Part 42

Under the cloud of world-wide war, While earth is drenched with sorrow, I have no heart for idle merrymaking, Or for the fashioning of glad raiment.

I will retrace the divine footmarks, On the Road of the first Easter.

Down through the valley of utter darkness Dripping with blood and tears; Over the hill of the skull, the little hill of great anguish, The ambuscade of Death.

Into the no-man's-land of Hades Bearing despatches of hope to spirits in prison, Mortally stricken and triumphant Went the faithful Captain of Salvation.

Then upward, swiftly upward,-- Victory, liberty, glory, The feet that were wounded walked in the tranquil garden, Bathed in dew and the light of deathless dawn.

O my soul, my comrades, soldiers of freedom, Follow the pathway of Easter, for there is no other, Follow it through to peace, yea, follow it fighting.

This Armageddon is not darker than Calvary.

The day will break when the Dragon is vanquished; He that exalteth himself as G.o.d shall be cast down, And the Lords of war shall fall, And the long, long terror be ended, Victory, justice, peace enduring!

They that die in this cause shall live forever, And they that live shall never die, They shall rejoice together in the Easter of a new world.

March 31, 1918.

AMERICA'S WELCOME HOME

Oh, gallantly they fared forth in khaki and in blue, America's crusading host of warriors bold and true; They battled for the rights of man beside our brave Allies, And now they're coming home to us with glory in their eyes.

_Oh, it's home again, and home again, America for me!

Our hearts are turning home again and there we long to be, In our beautiful big country beyond the ocean bars, Where the air is full of sunlight and the flag is full of stars._

Our boys have seen the Old World as none have seen before.

They know the grisly horror of the German G.o.ds of war: The n.o.ble faith of Britain and the hero-heart of France, The soul of Belgium's fort.i.tude and Italy's romance.

They bore our country's great word across the rolling sea, "America swears brotherhood with all the just and free."

They wrote that word victorious on fields of mortal strife, And many a valiant lad was proud to seal it with his life.

Oh, welcome home in Heaven's peace, dear spirits of the dead!

And welcome home ye living sons America hath bred!

The lords of war are beaten down, your glorious task is done; You fought to make the whole world free, and the victory is won.

_Now it's home again, and home again, our hearts are turning west, Of all the lands beneath the sun America is best.

We're going home to our own folks, beyond the ocean bars, Where the air is full of sunlight and the flag is full of stars._

November 11, 1918.

A sequel to "America For Me," written in 1909. Page 314.

THE SURRENDER OF THE GERMAN FLEET

Ship after ship, and every one with a high-resounding name, From the robber-nest of Heligoland the German war-fleet came; Not victory or death they sought, but a rendezvous of shame.

_Sing out, sing out, A joyful shout, Ye lovers of the sea!

The "Kaiser" and the "Kaiserin,"

The "Konig" and the "Prinz,"

The potentates of piracy, Are coming to surrender, And the ocean shall be free._

They never dared the final fate of battle on the blue; Their sea-wolves murdered merchantmen and mocked the drowning crew; They stained the wave with martyr-blood,--but we sent our transports through!

What flags are these that dumbly droop from the gaff o' the mainmast tall?

The black of the Kaiser's iron cross, the red of the Empire's fall!

Come down, come down, ye pirate flags. Yea, strike your colors all.

The Union Jack and the Tricolor and the Starry Flag o' the West Shall guard the fruit of Freedom's war and the victory confest, The flags of the brave and just and free shall rule on the ocean's breast.

_Sing out, sing out, A mighty shout, Ye lovers of the sea!

The "Kaiser" and the "Kaiserin,"

The "Konig" and the "Prinz,"

The robber-lords of death and sin, Have come to their surrender, And the ocean shall be free!_

November 20, 1918.

GOLDEN STARS

I

It was my lot of late to travel far Through all America's domain, A willing, gray-haired servitor Bearing the Fiery Cross of righteous war.

And everywhere, on mountain, vale and plain, In crowded street and lonely cottage door, I saw the symbol of the bright blue star.

Millions of stars! Rejoice, dear land, rejoice That G.o.d hath made thee great enough to give Beneath thy starry flag unfurled A gift to all the world,-- Thy living sons that Liberty might live.

II

It seems but yesterday they sallied forth Boys of the east, the west, the south, the north, High-hearted, keen, with laughter and with song, Fearless of lurking danger on the sea, Eager to fight in Flanders or in France Against the monstrous German wrong, And sure of victory!

Brothers in soul with British and with French They held their ground in many a b.l.o.o.d.y trench; And when the swift word came-- _Advance!_ Over the top they went through waves of flame,-- Confident, reckless, irresistible, Real Americans,-- Their rush was never stayed Until the foe fell back, defeated and dismayed.

O land that bore them, write upon thy roll Of battles won To liberate the human soul, Chateau Thierry and Saint Mihiel And the fierce agony of the Argonne; Yea, count among thy little rivers, dear Because of friends whose feet have trodden there, The Marne, the Meuse, and the Moselle.

III

Now the vile sword In Potsdam forged and bathed in h.e.l.l, Is beaten down, the victory given To the sword forged in faith and bathed in heaven.

Now home again our heroes come: Oh, welcome them with bugle and with drum, Ring bells, blow whistles, make a joyful noise Unto the Lord, And welcome home our blue-star boys, Whose manhood has made known To all the world America, Unselfish, brave and free, the Great Republic, Who lives not to herself alone.

IV

But many a lad we hold Dear in our heart of hearts Is missing from the home-returning host.

Ah, say not they are lost, For they have found and given their life In sacrificial strife: Their service stars have changed from blue to gold!