The Choice

Item

The Choice

The American Spirit speaks:

To the Judge of Right and Wrong

With Whom fulfillment lies

Our purpose and our power belong,

Our faith and sacrifice.

Let Freedom's land rejoice!

Our ancient bonds are riven;

Once more to us the eternal choice

Of good or ill is given.

Not at a little cost,

Hardly by prayer or tears,

Shall we recover the road we lost

In the drugged and doubting years.

But after the fires and the wrath,

But after searching and pain,

His Mercy opens us a path

To live with ourselves again.

In the Gates of Death rejoice!

We see and hold the good --

Bear witness, Earth, we have made our choice

For Freedom's brotherhood.

Then praise the Lord Most High

Whose Strength hath saved us whole,

Who bade us choose that the Flesh should die

And not the living Soul!

Title
The Choice
Identifier
greatwar_clarke006
Media
<html xmlns:tei="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"><body><h1 align="center" class="head">The Choice</h1><div class="stanza"><p class="subhead"><span class="smallcaps">The American </span><span class="smallcaps">Spirit speaks</span>:</p><p class="line">To the Judge of Right and Wrong</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">With Whom fulfillment lies</p><p class="line">Our purpose and our power belong,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Our faith and sacrifice.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Let Freedom's land rejoice!</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Our ancient bonds are riven;</p><p class="line">Once more to us the eternal choice</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Of good or ill is given.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Not at a little cost,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Hardly by prayer or tears,</p><p class="line">Shall we recover the road we lost</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">In the drugged and doubting years.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">But after the fires and the wrath,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">But after searching and pain,</p><p class="line">His Mercy opens us a path</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">To live with ourselves again.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">In the Gates of Death rejoice!</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">We see and hold the good --</p><p class="line">Bear witness, Earth, we have made our choice</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">For Freedom's brotherhood.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Then praise the Lord Most High</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Whose Strength hath saved us whole,</p><p class="line">Who bade us choose that the Flesh should die</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">And not the living Soul!</p></div><p class="byline">Rudyard Kipling</p></body></html>