The Stars and Stripes

Item

The Stars and Stripes

We who in the old days -- the easy days of pleasuring --

Loitered in the distant lands -- we know the thrill that came

When in far, foreign places, above the stranger faces,

The sight of it, the might of it, would wake us like a flame.

Our own flag, the one flag, it stirred our blood to claim.

We who in these new days -- these days of all confusion --

Look upon it with the eyes of one long blind who sees.

We know at last its beauty -- its magnitude of duty --

Dear God! if thus it seems to us, what will it mean to those

Who stay for it, who pray for it, our kindred over seas?

These who face the red days -- the white nights of fury,

Where death like some mad reaper hacks down the living grain --

They shall see our flag arise like a glory in the skies --

The stars of it, the bars of it, that prove it once again

The new flag, the true flag, that does not come in vain!

Title
The Stars and Stripes
Identifier
greatwar_calendar030
Media
<html xmlns:tei="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"><body><h1 align="center" class="head">The Stars and Stripes</h1><div class="stanza"><p class="line">We who in the old days -- the easy days of pleasuring --</p><p class="line">Loitered in the distant lands -- we know the thrill that came</p><p class="line">When in far, foreign places, above the stranger faces,</p><p class="line">The sight of it, the might of it, would wake us like a flame.</p><p class="line">Our own flag, the one flag, it stirred our blood to claim.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">We who in these new days -- these days of all confusion --</p><p class="line">Look upon it with the eyes of one long blind who sees.</p><p class="line">We know at last its beauty -- its magnitude of duty --</p><p class="line">Dear God! if thus it seems to us, what will it mean to those</p><p class="line">Who stay for it, who pray for it, our kindred over seas?</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">These who face the red days -- the white nights of fury,</p><p class="line">Where death like some mad reaper hacks down the living grain --</p><p class="line">They shall see our flag arise like a glory in the skies --</p><p class="line">The stars of it, the bars of it, that prove it once again</p><p class="line">The new flag, the true flag, <em>that does not come in vain!</em></p></div><p class="byline">-- Theodosia Garrison.<br xmlns:exist="http://exist.sourceforge.net/NS/exist" xmlns:html="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"/> Fifes and Drums.<br xmlns:exist="http://exist.sourceforge.net/NS/exist" xmlns:html="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"/> (George H. Doran Co.) </p></body></html>