A POLITICIAN

LEADER no more, be judged of us!

Hailed Chief, and loved, of yore —

Youth, and the faith of youth, cry out:

Leader and Chief no more!

We dreamed a Prophet, flushed with faith,

Content to toil in pain

If that his sacrifice might be,

Somehow, his people's gain.

We saw a vision, and our blood

Beat red and hot and strong:

“Lead us ( we cried ) to war against

Some foul, embattled wrong!”

We dreamed a Warrior whose sword

Was edged for sham and shame;

We dreamed a Statesman far above

The vulgar lust for fame.

We were not cynics, and we dreamed

A Man who made no truce

With lies nor ancient privilege

Nor old, entrenched abuse.

We dreamed... we dreamed... Youth dreamed a dream!

And even you forgot

Yourself, one moment, and dreamed, too —

Struck, while your mood was hot!

Struck three or four good blows... and then

Turned back to easier things:

The cheap applause, the blatant mob,

The praise of underlings!

Praise... praise... was ever man so filled,

So avid still, of praise?

So hungry for the crowd's acclaim,

The sycophantic phrase?

O you whom Greatness beckoned to...

O swollen Littleness

Who turned from Immortality

To fawn upon Success!

O blind with love of self, who led

Youth's vision to defeat,

Bawling and brawling for rewards,

Loud, in the common street!

O you who were so quick to judge —

Leader, and loved, of yore —

Hear now the judgment of our youth:

Leader and Chief no more!