Upton Sinclair, ed. (1878–1968).
The Cry for Justice: An Anthology of the Literature of Social Protest. 1915. | | | | Cry of the People |
By John G. Neihardt |
(Western poet and novelist, born 1881) |
| | | TREMBLE before your chattels, | |
| Lords of the scheme of things! | |
| Fighters of all earth’s battles, | |
| Ours is the might of kings! | |
| Guided by seers and sages, | 5 |
| The world’s heart-beat for a drum, | |
| Snapping the chains of ages, | |
| Out of the night we come! | |
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| Lend us no ear that pities! | |
| Offer no almoner’s hand! | 10 |
| Alms for the builders of cities! | |
| When will you understand? | |
| Down with your pride of birth | |
| And your golden gods of trade! | |
| A man is worth to his mother, Earth, | 15 |
| All that a man has made! | |
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| We are the workers and makers! | |
| We are no longer dumb! | |
| Tremble, O Shirkers and Takers! | |
| Sweeping the earth—we come! | 20 |
| Ranked in the world-wide dawn, | |
| Marching into the day! | |
| The night is gone and the sword is drawn | |
| And the scabbard is thrown away! | | | | |
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