Classic Poem

Spirit of Poesy, lift me, inspire me,
Bear me away on the spread of thy wings,
Fill me with passion to thrill me, to fire me,
Till all my being with ecstasy sings!
Show me the beauty in strength and devotion,
Teach me to tell it in crystalline verse:
Sailors and fishermen braving the ocean,
Farmers who conquer the primitive curse,
Miners who delve in the veins of the mountains,
Stokers whose lives feed the Steam's jealous power,
Pioneers pouring the rain-nourished fountains
Over the desert that bursts into flower.
Oh! I would chant the triumph of Labor,
Celebrate fitly Democracy's worth,
Sing, like the Psalmist with harp and with tabor,
Songs of the splendors that glorify earth!
Spirit of Poesy, take me and sway me,
Aid me to show how Truth maketh free,
Humble me, chasten me, ruthlessly slay me,
Should I prove false to the truth that I see!