Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, A PSALM OF FOOLISH WISDOM, by LOUISE LEIGHTON


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

A PSALM OF FOOLISH WISDOM, by                    
First Line: Lo, we are a nation of wise fools!
Last Line: Before our foolishness destroys the universe.
Alternate Author Name(s): Purdy, Susan Louise
Subject(s): Fools; United States; Idiots; America


Lo, we are a nation of wise fools!
We have builded towers to the stars,
But we have not lifted the minds of men to the light of day.
We have constructed mansions and palaces,
But we have not reared noblemen to live in them.
We have heaped gold high in our marts of trade,
But we have not minted coins of kindness.
We have healed sick bodies and mended crippled bones,
But we have not mixed potions to cure the sick heart,
Nor have we straightened a distorted brain,
Nor halted epidemics of hate and war.

We have crossed the mountains and spanned the seas
With the speeding wheel and the spinning wing,
But we have not bridged the distance between the rich and the poor.

We have harnessed light and sound, energy and motion,
But we have not conquered the forces of evil.
We have steeped ourselves with the science of matter.
Let us now apply our wisdom to spirit
Before our foolishness destroys the universe.





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