General William Booth Enters into Heaven and Other Poems [0]
General William Booth Enters into Heaven and Other Poems
by Vachel Lindsay
This book is dedicated to
Dr. Arthur Paul Wakefield
and
Olive Lindsay Wakefield
Missionaries in China
Contents
General William Booth Enters into Heaven
The Drunkards in the Street
The City That Will Not Repent
The Trap
Where is David, the Next King of Israel?
On Reading Omar Khayyam
The Beggar's Valentine
Honor Among Scamps
The Gamblers
On the Road to Nowhere
Upon Returning to the Country Road
The Angel and the Clown
Springfield Magical
Incense
The Wedding of the Rose and the Lotos
King Arthur's Men Have Come Again
Foreign Missions in Battle Array
Star of My Heart
Look You, I'll Go Pray
At Mass
Heart of God
The Empty Boats
With a Bouquet of Twelve Roses
St. Francis of Assisi
Buddha
A Prayer to All the Dead Among Mine Own People
To Reformers in Despair
Why I Voted the Socialist Ticket
To the United States Senate
The Knight in Disguise
The Wizard in the Street
The Eagle that is Forgotten
Shakespeare
Michelangelo
Titian
Lincoln
The Cornfields
Sweet Briars of the Stairways
Fantasies and Whims: --
The Fairy Bridal Hymn
The Potato's Dance
How a Little Girl Sang
Ghosts in Love
The Queen of Bubbles
The Tree of Laughing Bells, or The Wings of the Morning
Sweethearts of the Year
The Sorceress!
Caught in a Net
Eden in Winter
Genesis
Queen Mab in the Village
The Dandelion
The Light o' the Moon
A Net to Snare the Moonlight
Beyond the Moon
The Song of the Garden-Toad
A Gospel of Beauty: --
The Proud Farmer
The Illinois Village
On the Building of Springfield
General William Booth Enters into Heaven
[To be sung to the tune of `The Blood of the Lamb' with indicated instrument]
I
[Bass drum beaten loudly.]
Booth led boldly with his big bass drum --
(Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?)
The Saints smiled gravely and they said: "He's come."
(Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?)
Walking lepers followed, rank on rank,
Lurching bravoes from the ditches dank,
Drabs from the alleyways and drug fiends pale --
Minds still passion-ridden, soul-powers frail: --
Vermin-eaten saints with mouldy breath,
Unwashed legions with the ways of Death --
(Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?)
[Banjos.]
Every slum had sent its half-a-score
The round world over. (Booth had groaned for more.)
Every banner that the wide world flies
Bloomed with glory and transcendent dyes.
Big-voiced lasses made their banjos bang,
Tranced, fanatical they shrieked and sang: --
"Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?"
Hallelujah! It was queer to see
Bull-necked convicts with that land make free.
Loons with trumpets blowed a blare, blare, blare
On, on upward thro' the golden air!
(Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?)
II
[Bass drum slower and softer.]
Booth died blind and still by Faith he trod,
Eyes still dazzled by the ways of God.
Booth led boldly, and he looked the chief
Eagle countenance in sharp relief,
Beard a-flying, air of high command
Unabated in that holy land.
[Sweet flute music.]
Jesus came from out the court-house door,
Stretched his hands above the passing poor.
Booth saw not, but led his queer ones there
Round and round the mighty court-house square.
Yet in an instant all that blear review
Marched on spotless, clad in raiment new.
The lame were straightened, withered limbs uncurled
And blind eyes opened on a new, sweet world.
[Bass drum louder.]
Drabs and vixens in a flash made whole!
Gone was the weasel-head, the snout, the jowl!
Sages and sibyls now, and athletes clean,
Rulers of empires, and of forests green!
[Grand chorus of all instruments. Tambourines to the foreground.]
The hosts were sandalled, and their wings were fire!
(Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?)
But their noise played havoc with the angel-choir.
(Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?)
O, shout Salvation! It was good to see
Kings