The heirs of cultured ages, we
Fashioned an idol for all to see.
We all could see or thought we saw
A goddess of liberty and law,
Inheritor of Rome and Greece,
Monopolist of the arts of peace,
Symbol of all the good in life
Won for us by our fathers’ strife :
She topped our Western scroll of fame
Civilisation was her name.
Yet we who looked on her splendid youth
Dared not leave her naked as Truth ;
And so we crowned her beautiful head
With a cap of liberty (made of lead),
Collared her neck in steel, and dressed
Her gleaming limbs with an iron vest.
We saw she was fair ; and we were vain :
The Garden of Eden over again !
We would not see the devil behind.
O fools and blind ! O fools and blind !
God forgive us ! every one
Who dares to ask a place in the sun
His sun, that He has made to shine
To give us corn and oil and wine.
For all our building fair and straight
Is tumbled with a puff of hate,
And all the splendour that we planned
Totters upon the bloody sand
Where ‘wildered sheep have met their doom,
Driven to slaughter . . . for what? for whom?
Because Man cannot be content
Humbly to take what God has sent :
Because Man says ‘ My cause is just,
Others’ aggrandisement is lust.’
Because Man claims the right divine
To say ‘ This is that shall be mine.’
O still the Devil whispers fear
Into every human ear,
And will so whisper, till all is done.
God forgive us, every one !
Bow we our heads and humbly pray
That, if this terror may pass away,
We may not preen our horrid pride
That fortune fought upon our side ;
Rather, God grant we may begin
To expiate our common sin,
And guide our souls, which still the flesh
Must captive hold in quivering mesh,
To bow to His eternal plan
And better love our brother-man.
(Frank Sidgwick)
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Based on Topics: Man Poems, God Poems, Life Poems, Soul Poems, War & Peace Poems, Place Poems, Name Poems, Art Poems, Sin Poems, Law & Regulation Poems, Fame PoemsBased on Keywords: expiate, preen, collared, totters, wildered, inheritor, civilisation, brother-man, monopolist, aggrandisement