Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE SENTINEL OF THE AGES, by IBBIE MCCOLM WILSON First Line: Under shining, under shadow Last Line: Brother to the prince of peace. Subject(s): Fate; God; Jews; Poetry & Poets; Destiny; Judaism | ||||||||
UNDER shining, under shadow, At the gates of every land, All adown the lengthening ages, Men have seen a Sentry stand; Looming grandly on the beauty Of the blue day's crystal light, Then anon, in darkness blending With mystery of night; While his meditations linger Over glories that are past, And his keen prophetic vision Sees the good to come, at last. At the portals of some nations, We beheld him, as he stands Pale and haggard, weak and weary, With his grey head in his hands, Bowed in retrospective sorrow, For the infamy and scorn, For the ages of oppression By his people meekly borne; Till his features are transfigured In a blaze of wrath divine, And his glassy eyes brim over With their bitter burning wine. At another gate we see him, In the vigor of full prime Mounted on a stalwart courser, For some charge or quest sublime; Be it to go forth to battle, In a cause of righteous strife, Winning liberty, or glory, With the purchase of his life. Or, at least, to gain his guerdon, And be named among the great, By the aid of wealth's distinction, Or some service to the State. Otherwhere, we see him, seated Underneath the arches vast Of some old arcade, surrounded With the records of the past. Over ancient tomes he ponders, Filled with figures rude and strange, Yet their contents he deciphers Through Time's labyrinthine range; Then to poesy he turneth And in numbers sweet recites: Or he wakes the soul of music In the harp whose chords he smites. Once again we see him, crouching On a devastated strand, Silent as the Sphinx of Egypt Billowed in the surging sand, For the lash of persecution, Heedless of all human right Fell upon him, watching, waiting, Till he sank beneath its might. And he lies there, bruised and bleeding But a brave old hero still, Hoping for his destined future, When his Fate has wrought its will. Nations, do you know this Sentry, Keeping guard, for ages long, Over learning, arts, religion, Through all cruelty and wrong? Patient under dire oppression, While the iron pierced his soul; With no armor for protection; With no weapon but a Scroll His one treasure; hear him crying, "Though I die, let this be true!" Is not his the voice of Jacob? Yes! it isit isthe Jew. Say you that his crime demanded Punishment from God and men? Nay! With God alone be vengeance; He is merciful. But when Man metes out his ruthless judgments, With a mad presumption blind, He wreaks cruelties of demons On the weaker of his kind. It is not for his defection That the Jew has met the sword: Christians slay their fellow-Christians, In the name of their own Lord. Has he sinnedthis Jew immortal? Ay; but he is not alone; Christ is crucified forever In the House He calls His own. Multitudes bow down before Him And profess to own his sway, While their hearts are filled with idols, And they, Judas-like, betray Him who comes, as their Messiah, And their fealty would claim; But they pierce His soul with sorrows, Shouting praises to His name. Sinned the Jew? Well; he has suffered. When he saw his judgment come He bowed meekly to his sentence; Like the shorn lamb, he was dumb: Bearing shame, contempt, revilings, Grief and anguish, pain and death; Only saying: "God is holy; He is One," with latest breath. Like to Christ, in his submission He has met a martyr's fate. But his resurrection cometh; Though it tarry, he can wait. Yes! Already we perceive him, Rising up on every hand; Gliding into power and station, With the world's wealth at command. In the forum, in the senate, Lo! he wins immortal fame, Halls of learning, marts of commerce, Ring with echoes of his name, On each plane of high endeavor He is foremost in the strife Culling everlasting laurels From the battlefields of Life. So God's ancient, chosen people As His Sentinel still stands With the standard of Jehovah In the strong, uplifted hands; With his jewelled breastplate gleaming On his proudly heaving chest; And a lamp forever burning, On his helmet's lofty crest; While he welcomes the down-trodden To his hospitable shores. And in streams of richest bounty Blessings on his brethren pours. Standing thus, as great exemplar To the world, the Jew appears; Bringing hope, as well as warning, To Humanity's late years, Showing how, as King, God ruleth, When mankind would test His sway, Yet is tender as a Father When, as children, they obey. Prophet, statesman, warrior, scholar, Israel's glories shall increase, When he claims his royal birthright; Brother to the Prince of Peace. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE RABBI'S SON-IN-LAW by SABINE BARING-GOULD A LITTLE HISTORY by DAVID LEHMAN FOR I WILL CONSIDER YOUR DOG MOLLY by DAVID LEHMAN JEWISH GRAVEYARDS, ITALY by PHILIP LEVINE NATIONAL THOUGHTS by YEHUDA AMICHAI SOUNDS OF THE RESURRECTED DEAD MAN'S FOOTSTEPS (#3): 2. ANGEL ... by MARVIN BELL SHEMA YISRAEL ADONAY-ELOHAINU ADONAY-ECHOD by IBBIE MCCOLM WILSON |
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