Classic Poem

" FAREWELL , Romance! " the Cave-men said;
" With bone well carved He went away.
" Flint arms the ignoble arrowhead,
" And jasper tips the spear to-day.
" Changed are the Gods of Hunt and Dance,
" And He with these. Farewell, Romance! "

" Farewell, Romance! " the Lake-folk sighed;
" We lift the weight of flatling years;
" The caverns of the mountain-side
" Hold Him who scorns our hutted piers.
" Lost hills whereby we dare not dwell,
" Guard ye His rest. Romance, Farewell! "

" Farewell, Romance! " the Soldier spoke;
" By sleight of sword we may not win,
" But scuffle 'mid uncleanly smoke
" Of arquebus and culverin.
" Honour is lost, and none may tell
" Who paid good blows. Romance, farewell! "

" Farewell, Romance! " the Traders cried;
" Our keels have lain with every sea.
" The dull-returning wind and tide
" Heave up the wharf where we would be;
" The known and noted breezes swell
" Our trudging sails. Romance, farewell! "

" Good-bye, Romance! " the Skipper said;
" He vanished with the coal we burn.
" Our dial marks full-steam ahead,
" Our speed is timed to half a turn.
" Sure as the ferried barge we ply
" 'Twixt port and port. Romance, good-bye! "

" Romance! " the season-tickets mourn,
" He never ran to catch His train,
" But passed with coach and guard and horn —
" And left the local — late again!
" Confound Romance! " . . . And all unseen
Romance brought up the nine-fifteen.

His hand was on the lever laid,
His oil-can soothed the worrying cranks,
His whistle waked the snowbound grade,
His fog-horn cut the reeking Banks;
By dock and deep and mine and mill
The Boy-god reckless laboured still!

Robed, crowned and throned, He wove His spell,
Where heart-blood beat or hearth-smoke curled,
With unconsidered miracle,
Hedged in a backward-gazing world:
Then taught His chosen bard to say:
" Our King was with us — yesterday! "