The pageant of life an epic poem Author:George Barlow Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: IV. SONG OF WOMEN-SPIRITS. God at last has heard our crying. Through the ages past We have sought him, groaning, sighing : He has heard at last. ... more »Man has mocked us through the ages, Goaded to despair. Poets, thinkers, soldiers, sages, All have called us fair. All have praised our lips and tresses, Golden locks or black : All have sought our love-caresses : All have held us back. All have checked our souls' aspiring : All have dreaded this. This has tired men, never tiring Of the lips they kiss. All have dreaded lest the morning Which should find us free Would be wild with note of warning Rung by land and sea ! Not one noble soul has trusted ; Roman, Jew, or Greek. Many and many a sword had rusted, Had they let us speak ! Many and many a fierce old quarrel Had been lulled to rest! Ours the myrtle, man's the laurel, Man's the battle-crest. Half the spears that maddening hurtle Through the loud rent air Still had rested, had our myrtle Seemed to man's heart fair! Had man listened to our pleading, To our age-long cry, Battle-fields where he lay bleeding, Waiting there to die, Had been fields of corn and clover, Full of peace supreme : Had but man, our age-long lover, Listened to our dream ! For our dream is sweet and holy, Full of peace and grace. Slowly, slowly,—slowly, slowly,— We shall win our place. We shall win man's adoration In a nobler sphere, Rule through him some future nation : For our Prince is here. God, in sending Christ, is sending Woman victory. God at last is mixing, blending, Strength and purity. Not their old song-god Apollo, Bright of face and limb, Is the god for us to follow : Nay ! we need not him. Songs are sweet, and singe...« less