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Home  »  Rudyard Kipling’s Verse  »  The Choice

Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936). Verse: 1885–1918. 1922.

The Choice

1917

The American Spirit speaks:

TO the Judge of Right and Wrong

With Whom fulfilment lies

Our purpose and our power belong,

Our faith and sacrifice.

Let Freedom’s Land rejoice!

Our ancient bonds are riven;

Once more to us the eternal choice

Of Good or ill is given.

Not at a little cost,

Hardly by prayer or tears,

Shall we recover the road we lost

In the drugged and doubting years.

But, after the fires and the wrath,

But, after searching and pain,

His Mercy opens us a path

To live with ourselves again.

In the Gates of Death rejoice!

We see and hold the good—

Bear witness, Earth, we have made our choice

With Freedom’s brotherhood!

Then praise the Lord Most High

Whose Strength hath saved us whole,

Who bade us choose that the Flesh should die

And not the living Soul!

To the God in Man displayed

Wheree’er we see that Birth,

Be love and understanding paid

As never yet on earth!

To the Spirit that moves in Man,

On Whom all worlds depend,

Be Glory since our world began

And service to the end!