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THE CULTURE OF COURAGE

Categories: Chapter I - The Twin-Verses
Books: Mastery of Self

"The dawn of a New Day!"

Never an Aryan felt the flare of this electric Fact,

Nor any, or priest at his worship or earth-toiler swarming the land,

Till Zarathustra discovered Ahura Mazda,

Till Buddha discovered himself, the Thou of THAT, BRAHMA,

Till the CHRIST-MIND assumed IT to be the _I_ AM THAT _I_ AM



(The flare--the ghostly breath of the long-coming Dawn--

Had passed o'er
the Nature-Face, had kissed the swart Human,

Ages and ages, with never a conscious start

In the Man-Soul, till these had upsprung as if gods--

For, whosoever kens the flare, kens THAT and knows the ONE

ONLY WHO is)



So, thrice have men ventured the Word:

"Comes now a full Day that is New!"



Since these giant Men-Types, what times of the Small

Have opened and set on poor mouthings of Truth!

What Night for a thousand years twice told!

With Fear, and the fierce Stars, and no Sun in the Void!

Shadows--and Fear--and Death!



A fourth time man whispers: "The Dawn!"

We LIVE! And behold a New Day!"

Does the Flare of its Flood-Tide winds stir YOU?

Does the light of its splendoring Sun thrill YOU?

Does the marvelous Life of it stimulate YOU

To a birth of the self and the kingship of THAT?



YOU live! The New Day is for each:

For the hitherto Common Man, slave,

For the Women, no longer a Thing,

For the Child, now escaped from the animal lair

Dawn's here!

(With Opportunity leading "captivity captive,"

(And the stars urging on to achievement,

(And the Sun, breeding life triumphant);

With heart courageous and faith almighty

To fare forth and possess the whole world!

Soul of YOU, awaken! The New Day is yours



--THE AUTHOR



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