DOI article:
Katharine N. [Nash] Rhoades, —“There Is Always a ‘More’—A Greater Vision—A Greater Realization”— [poem]
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.31336#0060
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Centuries away—into a present truth.
A Spirit—held by human workers—holding them—
Driving, beyond man’s death, a force unto greater life
Endlessly creating.
Worlds shape in some such way
Laughter upon laughter
And pain—
Amid the loneliness and fierceness of the yearn of man.
I touch four walls—I hear voices—and I feel the
nearness of creative forces throbbing.
Colors and forms and lines
Living men these are
Men with their lives facing the world
To be laughed at—or loathed—
Daring to be themselves.
It has pervaded a city and many cities
Until the unknown necessity for it has become a divine right.
And the greatness of Today confronts us—in spite of all petty things.
Those who have touched its world-scope
Tremble at its divinity.—
A great force lives!
If the walls are felled—does it matter?
Valuer!—Visioner!
Only the space of the vision shall grow more deeply into the spirit alone.
A feeling of mountain tops
Blue flame-like distances
New stars for men to see
New suns to burn upon their souls
New faith.
And touching all who sense its touch
The desire to feel—more beautifully,
And to transmit one’s self—more perfectly.
A consciousness that one need not seek behind the clouds
For a compellingness to perish greatly,
In order that the Image with tomorrow’s dawn may breathe.
I too went gazing, questioning, answering,
I too merged with the voices; and the walls echoed—your truth’s Nature;
Work it was—Work, work,—
To be unafraid of life—infinitely unafraid—
I too felt the need to give—I too—
56
A Spirit—held by human workers—holding them—
Driving, beyond man’s death, a force unto greater life
Endlessly creating.
Worlds shape in some such way
Laughter upon laughter
And pain—
Amid the loneliness and fierceness of the yearn of man.
I touch four walls—I hear voices—and I feel the
nearness of creative forces throbbing.
Colors and forms and lines
Living men these are
Men with their lives facing the world
To be laughed at—or loathed—
Daring to be themselves.
It has pervaded a city and many cities
Until the unknown necessity for it has become a divine right.
And the greatness of Today confronts us—in spite of all petty things.
Those who have touched its world-scope
Tremble at its divinity.—
A great force lives!
If the walls are felled—does it matter?
Valuer!—Visioner!
Only the space of the vision shall grow more deeply into the spirit alone.
A feeling of mountain tops
Blue flame-like distances
New stars for men to see
New suns to burn upon their souls
New faith.
And touching all who sense its touch
The desire to feel—more beautifully,
And to transmit one’s self—more perfectly.
A consciousness that one need not seek behind the clouds
For a compellingness to perish greatly,
In order that the Image with tomorrow’s dawn may breathe.
I too went gazing, questioning, answering,
I too merged with the voices; and the walls echoed—your truth’s Nature;
Work it was—Work, work,—
To be unafraid of life—infinitely unafraid—
I too felt the need to give—I too—
56
