At Liberty's Feet

Goddess, slow-born of the ages Liberty, light-giving soul!
Raised, looking seaward, gigantic in sheen of bronze,
What dost thou see in the wastes afar,
Beyond where the waters throb,
Out where the future's nurselings are
And the woes of the future sob?
What glory the coming day dons,
What gleams and what glooms hither roll?
Here we have set thee in majesty fronting the rising sun,
Rock-bastioned, steel strengthened, splendid with crown of fire,
To last while man treads the circling world,
To hold us to hate of the wrong,
To live neath Love's banner unfurled,
To be good and for Justice strong,
To ascend, to uplift, to aspire,
To stand fast by each right well-won.
Dost thou see the fulfillment of this, grand Queen of all men free!
The old law moving to better, the new law on to the best,
Ever on Toil a more sunny brow,
Ever in thought a purer flight,
With songs of sweetness undreamed of now,
Silver laughter and golden light,
A bond of Trust from east to west,
A band of Peace from sea to sea?
But ah, when thy mantle of bronze has crusted with rust of green,
And the fresh-cut stones at thy feet are worn by cycles of storm,
And all who gazed at thy new-lit flame
Are gone on the wind of Time,
Shalt thou stand for an empty name?
Shall our hopes and dreams sublime
Be as rust and dust of thy form,
Be as dust of thy rust of green?
Oh never be thou in one glory dimmed or thy stars be less,
Great image of all men's strivings to reach man's topmost goal!
Thy flame we'll watch for the years unborn,
Though the olden wrongs die hard;
Thine altar with flow ring deeds adorn;
Thy throne with our lives we'll guard,
That thou may'st enter the broad world's soul,
Forever to light and to bless.