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Anti-war essays, poems, short stories and literary excerpts
American writers on peace and against war
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Robert Underwood Johnson
To the Peace Palace at the Hague
Builded of Love and Joy and Faith and Hope,
Thou standest firm beyond the tides of war
That dash in gloom and fear and tempest-roar,
Beacon of Europe! – though wise pilots grope
Where trusted lights are lost; though the dread scope
Of storm is wider, deadlier than before;
Ay, though the very floods that strew the shore
Seem to obey some power turned misanthrope.
For though art witness to a world’s desire,
And when – oh. happiest of days! – shall cease
The throes by which our Age doth bring to birth
The fairest of her daughters, heavenly Peace,
When man’s red folly has been purged in fire,
Though shalt be Capitol of all the Earth.
September 19, 1914
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