Through the pregnant universe rumbles life's terrific thunder, <br />And Earth's bowels quake with terror; strange and terrible storms break, <br />Lightning-torches flame the heavens, kindling souls of men, thereunder: <br />Africa! long ages sleeping, O my motherland, awake! <br /> <br />In the East the clouds glow crimson with the new dawn that is breaking, <br />And its golden glory fills the western skies. <br />O my brothers and my sisters, wake! arise! <br />For the new birth rends the old earth and the very dead are waking, <br />Ghosts are turned flesh, throwing off the grave's disguise, <br />And the foolish, even children, are made wise; <br />For the big earth groans in travail for the strong, new world in making-- <br />O my brothers, dreaming for dim centuries, <br />Wake from sleeping; to the East turn, turn your eyes! <br /> <br />Oh the night is sweet for sleeping, but the shining day's for working; <br />Sons of the seductive night, for your children's children's sake, <br />From the deep primeval forests where the crouching leopard's lurking, <br />Lift your heavy-lidded eyes, Ethiopia! awake! <br /> <br />In the East the clouds glow crimson with the new dawn that is breaking, <br />And its golden glory fills the western skies. <br />O my brothers and my sisters, wake! arise! <br />For the new birth rends the old earth and the very dead are waking, <br />Ghosts have turned flesh, throwing off the grave's disguise, <br />And the foolish, even children, are made wise; <br />For the big earth groans in travail for the strong, new world in making-- <br />O my brothers, dreaming for long centuries, <br />Wake from sleeping; to the East turn, turn your eyes!<br /><br />Claude McKay<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/exhortation-summer-1919/
