The Brave
BY FLORENCE EARLE COATES
IT is not the desert lonely,
Nor at the mast-head o'er the wave,
Nor with the climbing fire ascending
Imperiled life to save,
Nor on the battlefield, that only
Are found the brave!
Ah, no! Unmarked, pain's passion-flowers,
Through nights intolerably deep,
They bind in silence; mutely praying—
Enduring, not to keep
Their watchers wearying through the hours—
But let them sleep.
Through all the winter chill, ere morning,
O'er many a frozen trail, I wis,
Fighting their course, that waiting children
Life's nurture may not miss—
Against the blast they journey, scorning
As bitter kiss.
From light-towers sending forth at even
New hope, in place of old despair,
Toiling in mines, in factories toiling—
But, ah! why seek, why care
To name them o'er? The brave, thank Heaven!
Are everywhere!
This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1927.
The author died in 1927, so this work is also in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 80 years or less. This work may also be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.