Country Of Freedom
By Amos Russel Wells
Country of freedom, be free in thy heart:
Free from the shackles of prisoning pride,
Free from the liar’s contemptible art,
Free from allurements that tempt thee aside,
Free from the crafty and treacherous guide,
Free from the ravening greed of the mart,
Free from the snares that in opulence hide,—
Country of freedom be free in thy heart!
Country of freedom, find freedom for all:
Freedom for thinkers’ adventurous quest,
Freedom for greatness to spring from the small,
Freedom for better to grow to the best,
Freedom for justice’s rigorous test,
Freedom for progress in hut and in hall,
Freedom for labor’s unwearying zest,—
Country of freedom, be free for them all!
Country of freedom, be free for the earth:
Over the bloody and desperate main,
Far in the regions of darkness and dearth,
Challenge the tyrant’s unmerciful reign,
Pierce to the heart of his evil domain,
Win for thy brothers the lands of their birth,
Shatter the prison and sever the chain,—
Country of freedom, be free for the earth!
