O thou, whose patient, peaceful blood Paints Sharon's roses on thy cheek, And down thy breasts played hide and seek, Six thousand years a stainless flood, Rise up and set thy sad face hence. Rise up and come where Freedom waits Within these white, wide ocean gates To give thee God's inheritance; To bind thy wounds in this despair; To braid thy long, strong, loosened hair. O Rachel, weeping where the flood Of icy Volga grinds and flows Against his banks of blood-red snows -- White banks made red with children's blood -- Lift up thy head, be comforted; For, as thou didst on manna feed, When Russia roamed a bear in deed, And on her own foul essence fed, So shalt thou flourish as a tree When Russ and Cossack shall not be. Then come where yellow harvests swell; Forsake that savage land of snows; Forget the brutal Russian's blows; And come where Kings of Conscience dwell. Oh come, Rebecca to the well! The voice of Rachel shall be sweet! The Gleaner rest safe at the feet Of one who loves her; and the spell Of Peace that blesses Paradise Shall kiss thy large and lonely eyes. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...JOHANNES AGRICOLA IN MEDITATION by ROBERT BROWNING LAY OF THE TRILOBITE by MAY EMMA GOLDWORTH KENDALL THE CHILD ALONE: 4. PICTURE-BOOKS IN WINTER by ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON HYMN ON SOLITUDE by JAMES THOMSON (1700-1748) GREAT FRIEND by HENRY DAVID THOREAU A SONNET. LOVE'S CONTRARIETY by PHILIP AYRES STANZAS, COMPOSED WHILE WALKING ON WARREN HILL, EARLY SUMMER'S MORNING by BERNARD BARTON |