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is is the turn of the whole world's story. Stand thou still, thou sun upon Gibeon, Stand thou, moon, in the valley of Ajalon! 'Smite! amid spear-blades blazing and breaking. More than we know of is rising and making. Stab with the javelin, crash with the car! Cry! for we know not the thing that we are. Stand, O sun! that in horrible patience Smiled on the smoke and the slaughter of nations. Thou shalt grow sad for a little crying, Thou shalt be darkened for one man's dying-- Stand thou still, thou sun upon Gibeon, Stand thou, moon, in the valley of Ajalon!' After the battle was broken and spent Up to the hill the Deliverer went, Flung up his arms to the storm-clouds flying, And cried unto Israel, mightily crying, 'Come up, O warriors! come up, O brothers! Tribesmen and herdsmen, maidens and mothers; The bondman's son and the bondman's daughter, The hewer of wood and the drawer of water, He that carries and he that brings, And set your foot on the neck of kings.' This is the story of Gibeon fight-- Where we smote the lords of the Amorite; Where the banners of princes with slaughter were sodden. And the beards of seers in the rank grass trodden; Where the trees were wrecked by the wreck of cars, And the reek of the red field blotted the stars; Where the dead heads dropped from the swords that sever, Because His mercy endureth for ever. 'VULGARISED' All round they murmur, 'O profane, Keep thy heart's secret hid as gold'; But I, by God, would sooner be Some knight in shattering wars of old, In brown outlandish arms to ride, And shout my love to every star With lungs to make a poor maid's name Deafen the iron ears of war. Here, where these subtle cowards crowd, To stand and so to speak of love, That the four corners of the world Should hear it and take heed thereof. That to this shrine obscure there be One witness before all men given, As naked as the hanging Christ, As shameless as the sun in heaven. These whimperers--have they spared to us One dripping woe, one reeking sin? These thieves that shatter their own graves To prove the soul is dead within. They talk; by God, is it not time Some of Love's chosen broke the girth, And told the good all men have known Since the first morning of the earth? THE BALLAD OF GOD-MAKERS A bird flew out at the break of day From the nest where it had curled, And ere the eve the bird had set Fear on the kin
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