Golden Stars | Page 4

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 hell,?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!?That sudden rapture took them far away,?Yet are they here with us today,?Even as the heavenly stars we cannot see?Through the bright veil of sunlight?Shed their influence still?On our vexed life, and promise peace?From God to all men of good will.
V
What wreaths shall we entwine?For our dear boys to deck their holy shrine??Mountain-laurel, morning-glory,?Goldenrod and asters blue,?Purple loosestrife, prince's-pine,?Wild-azalea, meadow-rue,?Nodding-lilies, columbine,--?All the native blooms that grew?In these fresh woods and pastures new,?Wherein they loved to ramble and to play.?Bring no exotic flowers:?America was in their hearts,?And they are ours?For ever and a day.
VI
O happy warriors, forgive the tear?Falling from eyes that miss you;?Forgive the word of grief from mother-lips?That ne'er on earth shall kiss you;?Hear only what our hearts would have you hear,--?Glory and praise and gratitude and pride?From the dear country in whose cause you died.?Now you have run your race and won your prize,?Old age shall never burden you, the fears?And conflicts that beset our lingering years?Shall never vex your souls in Paradise.?Immortal, young, and crowned with victory,?From life's long battle you have found release.?And He who died for all on Calvary?Has welcomed you, brave soldiers of the cross,?Into eternal Peace.
VII
Come, let us gird our loins and lift our load,?Companions who are left on life's rough road,?And bravely take the way that we must tread?To keep true faith with our beloved dead.?To conquer war they dared their lives to give,?To safeguard peace our hearts must learn to live.?Help us, dear God, our forward faith to hold!?We want a better world than that of old.?Lead us on paths of high endeavor,?Toiling upward, climbing ever,?Ready to suffer for the right,?Until at last we gain a loftier height,?More worthy to behold?Our guiding stars, our hero-stars of gold.
Ode for the Memorial Service,?Princeton University, December 15, 1918.
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