A BROADSIDE DISTRIBUTED IN SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS
Censers are swinging,
Over the town;
Censers are swinging,
Look overhead!
Censers are swinging,
Heaven comes down.
City, dead city,
Awake from the dead!
Censers, tremendous,
Gleam overhead.
Wind-harps are ringing,
Wind-harps unseen-
Calling and calling:-
“Wake from the dead.
Rise, little city,
Shine like a queen.”
Soldiers of Christ
For battle grow keen.
Heaven-sent winds
Haunt alley and lane.
Singing of life
In town-meadows green
After the toil
And battle and pain.
Incense is pouring
Like the spring rain
Down on the mob
That moil through the street.
Blessed are they
Who behold it and gain
Power made more mighty
Thro’ every defeat.
Builders, toil on.
Make all complete.
Make Springfield wonderful.
Make her renown
Worthy this day,
Till, at God’s feet,
Tranced, saved forever,
Waits the white town.
Censers are swinging
Over the town,
Censers gigantic!
Look overhead!
Hear the winds singing:-
“Heaven comes down.
City, dead city,
Awake from the dead.”
(Vachel Lindsay)
More Poetry from Vachel Lindsay:
Vachel Lindsay Poems based on Topics: God, Kings & Queens, Life, Heaven, Spring, Christianity, Cities, Singing, Pain, Jesus Christ, Defeats- Bryan, Bryan, Bryan, Bryan (Vachel Lindsay Poems)
- An Indian Summer Day on the Prairie (Vachel Lindsay Poems)
- A Colloquial Reply: To Any Newsboy (Vachel Lindsay Poems)
- Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight (Vachel Lindsay Poems)
- The Perfect Marriage (Vachel Lindsay Poems)
- Elizabeth Barrett Browning (Vachel Lindsay Poems)
Readers Who Like This Poem Also Like:
Based on Topics: God Poems, Life Poems, Heaven Poems, Christianity Poems, Kings & Queens Poems, Pain Poems, Jesus Christ Poems, Spring Poems, Cities Poems, Singing Poems, Defeats PoemsBased on Keywords: gigantic, illinois, distributed, tranced, springfield, moil, builders, censers, heaven-sent, broadside, wind-harps