To the sun that never blisters, And the children nine and ten! And the children nine and ten (Stand up!), And the life we live and know, Let a fellow sing o' the little things he cares about, If a fellow fights for the little things he cares about With the weight of a two-fold blow! To the far-flung fenceless prairie To the home of the floods and thunder, To the last and the largest Empire, To the map that is half unrolled! To our dear dark foster-mothers, Ere we came to the white man's tongue. To the night, to the palms in the moonlight, To the hearth of our people's people— To the Power-house of the Line! We've drunk to the Queen-God bless her!- And the Cross swings low for the morn; A health to the Native-born (Stand up!), All bound to sing o' the little things we care about, All bound to fight for the little things we care about By the might of our cable-tow (Take hands!), All round the world (and a little loop to pull it by), THE KING "FAREWELL, Romance!" the Cave-men said; "With bone well carved he went away, Flint arms the ignoble arrowhead, And jasper tips the spear to-day. Changed are the Gods of Hunt and Dance, And he with these. Farewell, Romance!" "Farewell, Romance!" the Lake-folk sighed; "We lift the weight of flatling years; The caverns of the mountain-side Hold him who scorns our hutted piers. Lost hills whereby we dare not dwell, Guard ye his rest. Romance, farewell!" "Farewell, Romance!" the Soldier spoke; Who paid good blows. Romance, farewell!" "Farewell, Romance!" the Traders cried; "Our keels ha' lain with every sea; The dull-returning wind and tide Heave up the wharf where we would be; The known and noted breezes swell Our trudging sail. Romance, farewell!" Good-bye, Romance!" the Skipper said; "He vanished with the coal we burn; Our dial marks full steam ahead, Our speed is timed to half a turn. Sure as the ferried barge we ply 'Twixt port and port. Romance, good-bye!" "Romance!" the season-tickets mourn, He never ran to catch his train, But passed with coach and guard and horn- Confound Romance! . . . And all unseen His hand was on the lever laid, His oil-can soothed the worrying cranks, Robed, crowned and throned, he wove his spell, Hedged in a backward-gazing world; Then taught his chosen bard to say: "Our King was with us-yesterday!" |