Page:The book of American negro poetry.djvu/171

THE NEW DAY

From a vision red with war I awoke and saw the Prince
  of Peace hovering over No Man's Land.
Loud the whistles blew and the thunder of cannon was
  drowned by the happy shouting of the people.
From the Sinai that faces Armageddon I heard this chant
  from the throats of white-robed angels:

 Blow your trumpets, little children!
 From the East and from the West,
 From the cities in the valley,
 From God's dwelling on the mountain,
 Blow your blast that Peace might know
 She is Queen of God's great army.
 With the crying blood of millions
 We have written deep her name
 In the Book of all the Ages;
 With the lilies in the valley,
 With the roses by the Mersey,
 With the golden flower of Jersey
 We have crowned her smooth young temples.
 Where her footsteps cease to falter
 Golden grain will greet the morning,
 Where her chariot descends
 Shall be broken down the altars
 Of the gods of dark disturbance.
 Nevermore shall men know suffering,
 Nevermore shall women wailing
 Shake to grief the God of Heaven.
 From the East and from the West,
 From the cities in the valley,