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Home  »  The Book of New York Verse  »  Arthur Upson

Hamilton Fish Armstrong, ed. The Book of New York Verse. 1917.

The Statue of Liberty, A. D. 2900

Arthur Upson

New York Harbour

HERE once, the records show, a land whose pride

Abode in Freedom’s watchword! And once here

The port of traffic for a hemisphere,

With great gold-piling cities at her side!

Tradition says, superbly once did bide

Their sculptured goddess on an island near,

With hospitable smile and torch kept clear

For all wide hordes that sought her o’er the tide.

’Twas centuries ago. But this is true:

Late the fond tyrant who misrules our land,

Bidding his serfs dig deep in marshes old,

Trembled, not knowing wherefore, as they drew

From out this swampy bed of ancient mould

A shattered torch held in a mighty hand.