How did she fight? She fought well.
How did she light? Ah, she fell.
Why did she fall? God, who knows all,
Only can tell.
Those she was fighting for — they
Surely would go to her? Nay!
What of her pain! Their's is the gain.
Ever the way.
Will they not help her to rise
If there is death in her eyes?
Can you not see? She made them free.
What if she dies ?
Can we not help her? Oh, no!
In her good fight it is so
That all who work never must shirk
Suff'ring and woe.
But she'll not ever lie down –
On her head, in the dust, is a crown
Jewelled and bright, under whose light
She'll rise alone.
This work is in the public domain in Australia because it was created in Australia and the term of copyright has expired.
See Australian Copyright Council - Duration of Copyright (January 2019).
This work is also in the public domain in the United States because it was in the public domain in Australia in 1996, and no copyright was registered in the U.S. (This is the combined effect of Australia having joined the Berne Convention in 1928, and of 17 USC 104A with its critical date of January 1, 1996.)
This work was published before January 1, 1927, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.