Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE PLEDGE, by NATHALIA CRANE


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE PLEDGE, by                    
First Line: These are the words of your judiths
Last Line: New legions, their own unborn sons.
Subject(s): Jews; Judith (bible); Miriam (bible); Women In The Bible; Judaism


These are the words of your Judiths
And Miriams singing at eve:
"Behold, we are sending levies
To hearten the ranks and relieve.

"'Twas only the sign you waited
From the crone to the ten-year maid.
We give it -- a battle order --
And it's fight to the last brigade.

"We went to the wells in sorrow
But we were permitted to draw
The gloss for the golden guidons
And the grip of the lion's claw.

"From David to Disraeli --
From the Bernhardt to Deluge dove,
We stood by the wells of Zion
To draw for the ones we love.

"'Twas Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel,
Or Deborah, lifting the veil,
And once came a Shushan Lily --
The daughter of Abihail.

"Our right is rehearsing visions,
Our left rests on old Sinai Hill,
The centre -- a harp and tambour,
A crayon, a chisel, a quill."

The wounded go back to colors,
The sick are returned to the file,
Old war maps revert to wadding --
The new to be scaled to the mile.

It's worth the cries from the litters,
It's worth all the standards and guns,
Judith and Miriam pledging
New legions, their own unborn sons.





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