| Hamilton Fish Armstrong, ed. The Book of New York Verse. 1917. | | | | Madison Square: Christmas | | By Brian Hooker |
| | | HERE is our worth. We cannot rear the towers | |
| Of other times, nor bid our deeds remain | |
| Where lesser generations dream in vain, | |
| Nor sing their songs, nor crown us with their flowers. | |
| The kingdoms and the glories and the powers | 5 |
| Have been; yet it may be the slow years gain | |
| A thought more sorrow for a brother’s pain, | |
| A little joy in other joy than ours. | |
| |
| We in whose sight the world is newly known, | |
| Shall we match works with Babylon, or wars | 10 |
| With Rome, or arts with Athens? Which of them | |
| Will praise our pride? This only is our own— | |
| This dead tree blossoming a thousand stars, | |
| And every one a Star of Bethlehem. | | | | |
|
|
