Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE LIFE OF THE LAND IS ESTABLISHED IN RIGHTEOUSNESS, by CLIFFORD GESSLER


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE LIFE OF THE LAND IS ESTABLISHED IN RIGHTEOUSNESS, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: We have taken away their lands and their possessions
Last Line: We have taken their land, we can not take their laughter.
Subject(s): Hawaii


We have taken away their lands and their possessions;
they gave them freely to us, and we have kept them.
But they keep their gentleness, their leisure,
their dignity that is of elder time.

These are the children of gods; why should they trouble
for lands, when they have their smile and their wreaths of flowers?
We have taken their land, we can not take their laughter.





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