Come you with dangers to fright us? or hazards <br />to try out our souls? <br />Then may you find us undaunted; determined to <br />get to our goals. <br />Now, white are the pages you bring us to fill <br />with the tales of our deeds, <br />And I pray we shall square at the finish the work <br />of our lives with our creeds. <br /> <br />Oh, child of a year, do you wonder what here <br />upon earth you shall find? <br />America shows you a people united in purpose <br />and mind; <br />Whatever you bring us of danger, whatever you <br />hold to affright, <br />I pray that we never shall lower our standards <br />of truth and of right. <br /> <br />You find us a people united, full pledged to the <br />work of the world, <br />To banish the despot and tyrant, our banner in <br />battle's unfurled; <br />And here to a world that is bleeding and weary <br />and heartsick you come, <br />Whatever you've brought us of duty—we'll <br />answer the call of your drum. <br /> <br />We may weep in our grief and our sorrows, we <br />may bend 'neath the might of the blow, <br />But never our courage shall falter, and never <br />we'll run from the foe. <br />We know not how troubled our pathways shall <br />be nor how sorely beset, <br />But I pray we shall cling to our honor as men <br />and never our purpose forget.<br /><br />Edgar Albert Guest<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-new-year-24/
