Song of the Wandering Dust
WE are of one kindred, wheresoe’er we be, —
Red upon the highroad or yellow on the plain,
White against the sea drift that girts the heavy sea;
Thou hast made us brothers, God of wind and rain!
Red upon the highroad or yellow on the plain,
White against the sea drift that girts the heavy sea;
Thou hast made us brothers, God of wind and rain!
Yellow all along the fields, hey ho, the morn!
All the throb of those old days lingers in my feet,
Pleasant moods of growing grass and young laugh of the corn,
And the life of the yellow dust is sweet!
All the throb of those old days lingers in my feet,
Pleasant moods of growing grass and young laugh of the corn,
And the life of the yellow dust is sweet!
When I bend my head low and listen at the ground,
I can hear vague voices that I used to know,
Stirring in dim places, faint and restless sound ;
I remember how it was when the grass began to grow!
I can hear vague voices that I used to know,
Stirring in dim places, faint and restless sound ;
I remember how it was when the grass began to grow!
We are of one kindred, wheresoe’er we be,—
Red upon the highroad or yellow on the plain,
White against the glistening kelp that girts the heavy sea;
Thou hast made us brothers, God of wind and rain !
Red upon the highroad or yellow on the plain,
White against the glistening kelp that girts the heavy sea;
Thou hast made us brothers, God of wind and rain !
Blown along the sea beach! Oh, but those were days !
How we loved the lightning, straight and keen and white !
Bosomed with the ribboned kelp! Hist! through all the ways
Of my brain I hear the sea, calling through the night.
How we loved the lightning, straight and keen and white !
Bosomed with the ribboned kelp! Hist! through all the ways
Of my brain I hear the sea, calling through the night.
How we used to jostle, braced together each to each,
When the sea came booming, stalwart, up the strand !
Ridged our shoulders, met the thunder, groaned and held the beach !
I thank the God that made me I am brother to the sand !
When the sea came booming, stalwart, up the strand !
Ridged our shoulders, met the thunder, groaned and held the beach !
I thank the God that made me I am brother to the sand !
We are of one kindred, wheresoe’er we be, —
Red upon the highroad or yellow on the plain,
White against the sea drift that girts the heavy sea;
Thou hast made us brothers, God of wind and rain!
Red upon the highroad or yellow on the plain,
White against the sea drift that girts the heavy sea;
Thou hast made us brothers, God of wind and rain!
Red upon the highroad that travels up to town !
I have nigh forgotten how the old way goes.
Ay, but I was there once, trampled up and down !
Shod feet and bare feet, I was friend to those!
I have nigh forgotten how the old way goes.
Ay, but I was there once, trampled up and down !
Shod feet and bare feet, I was friend to those!
Old feet and young feet, — still within my breast
I can feel the steady march, tread, tread, tread !
In my heart they left their blood, — God give them rest!
In my bones I feel the dust raised from their dead!
I can feel the steady march, tread, tread, tread !
In my heart they left their blood, — God give them rest!
In my bones I feel the dust raised from their dead!
We are of one kindred, wheresoe’er we be, —
Dumb along the highroad or fashioned in the brain ;
Once my flesh was beaten from the white sand by the sea;
Thou hast made us brothers, God of wind and rain !
Dumb along the highroad or fashioned in the brain ;
Once my flesh was beaten from the white sand by the sea;
Thou hast made us brothers, God of wind and rain !
Red dust and yellow dust, whither shall we go?
Up the road and by the sea and through the hearts of men !
Red dust and yellow dust, when the great winds blow,
We shall meet and mingle, pass and meet again.
Up the road and by the sea and through the hearts of men !
Red dust and yellow dust, when the great winds blow,
We shall meet and mingle, pass and meet again.
Red dust and yellow dust, I can feel them yet,
On my lips and through my soul, fine-grained in my mood.
Still the solemn kinship calls, the old loves will not forget,
And my heart answers back to its blood.
On my lips and through my soul, fine-grained in my mood.
Still the solemn kinship calls, the old loves will not forget,
And my heart answers back to its blood.
Old dust and strange dust, wheresoe’er we be, —
Red along the highroad or yellow on the plain,
White against the sea drift that girts the heavy sea,
Thou hast made us brothers, God of wind and rain !
Red along the highroad or yellow on the plain,
White against the sea drift that girts the heavy sea,
Thou hast made us brothers, God of wind and rain !
Anna Hempstead Branch.