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