BLESSED are Pain, the smiter,
And Sorrow, the uniter!
For one afflicted lies-
A symboled sacrifice-
And all our rancor dies!
No North, no South! O stern-faced Chief,
One weeping ours, one cowled Grief–
Thy Country-bowed in prayer and tear-
For North and South-above thy bier!
For North and South! O Soldier grim,
The broken ones to weep for him
Who broke them! He whose terrors blazed
In smoking harvests, cities razed;
Whose Fate-like glance sent fear and chill;
Whose wordless lips spake deathless will-
Till all was shattered, all was lost-
All hands dropped down-all War’s red cost
Laid there in ashes-Hope and Hate
And Shame and Glory!
Death and Fate
Fall back! Another touch is thine;
He drank not of thy poisoned wine,
Nor blindly met thy blind-thrown lance,
Nor died for sightless time or chance-
But waited, suffered, bowed and tried,
Till all the dross was purified;
Till every well of hate was dried;
And North and South in sorrow vied,
And then-at God’s own calling-died!
(John Boyle O Reilly)
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Based on Topics: Sadness Poems, Death & Dying Poems, Pain Poems, Success Poems, Prayers Poems, Cities Poems, Wine Poems, Hatred Poems, Smoking PoemsBased on Keywords: rancor, smiter, symboled, stern-faced, uniter, then-at