Letter to the Editor: A Poetic Challenge to Men for Fathers Day

Posted

In honor of approaching Father's Day, I offer the following poem by Josiah Gilbert Holland (1819-1891) to challenge myself and all men, fathers or not:

"God, Give us Men!"

God, give us men! A time like this demands;

Strong minds, great hearts, true faith and ready hands;

Men whom the lust of office does not kill;

Men whom the spoils of office cannot buy;

Men who possess opinions and a will;

Men who have honor, men who will not lie;

Men who can stand before a demagogue

And damn his treacherous flatteries without winking!



Tall men, sun-crowned, who live above the fog

In public duty, and in private thinking;

For while the rabble, with their thumb-worn creeds,

Their large professions and their little deeds,

Mingle in selfish strife, lo! Freedom weeps,

Wrong rules the land and waiting Justice sleeps.

 

Denny Taylor

Chehalis