2. Recent TO THE CHRISTIANS FRANCIS ADAMS (English Poet and Rebel) Take, then, your paltry Christ, We want the man who loved The poor and the oppressed, Who hated the Rich man and the King We want the Galilean Who knew the cross and rod. THE KINGS OF THE EAST KATHERINE LEE BATES I The Kings of the East are riding The sunset glows dividing, The Kings of the East are riding; Gleaming with gold and gem II To a strange sweet harp of Zion To a strange sweet harp of Zion; The watcher of the North; III There beams above the manger To pause where poor folk are? CRUCIFIXION EVA GORE BOOTH In the crowd's multitudinous mind Hides face from horror-struck face; And all men, huddled and dumb, Shrink from the death-strangled cry, And the hidden terror to come, And the dead men hurrying by. White gleams from the limbs of the dead Nay, but all Life is one, A wind that wails through the vast, And this deed is never done, This passion is never past. When any son of man by man's blind doom Weary and harsh with pain, a desolate cry, Is done to God in Heaven, for earth and sky, And bird and beast, green leaves and golden sun, Men's dreams, the starry dust, the bread, the wine, Rivers and seas, my soul and his, are one Through all things flows one life austere, divine, Strangling the murderer you are slaying me, Scattering the stars and leaves like broken bread, Casting dark shadows on the sun-lit sea, Striking the swallows and the sea-gulls dead, Making the red rose wither to its fall, Darkening the sunshine, blasting the green sod,Wounding one soul, you wound the soul of all, The unity of Life, the soul of God. A VIRILE CHRIST REX BOUNDY Give us a virile Christ for these rough days! The very breach of Death without amaze. Did He not scourge from temple courts the thieves? And still the raging tumult of the sea? Did He not bear the greatest pain of all, Silent, upon the cross on Calvary? THE POET WITTER BYNNER A poet lived in Galilee Whose mother dearly knew him He loved the speech of simple men He had sweet-hearted things to say, When people were unkind that day; And tell them what they ought to do; "Love other folk," he pleaded, "As you love me and I love you!" But almost no one heeded. A poet died in Galilee They stared at him and slew him . . What would they do to you and me If we should say we knew him? COMRADE JESUS SARAH N. CLEGHORN Thanks to St. Matthew, who had been "Where sore they toil and hard they lie, By Dives' door, with thoughtful eye, "The kingdom's gate is low and small; "A dangerous man," said Caiaphas, For law and order, it was plain, Their clumsy force with force to foil Between the twilights of his end, Ah, let no Local him refuse! Comrade Jesus hath paid his dues. Whatever other be debarred, Comrade Jesus hath his red card. CHRIST, THE MAN WILLIAM HENRY DAVIES Lord, I say nothing: I profess No faith in Thee nor Christ Thy Son: Yet no man ever heard me mock A true believing one. |