1.
"I like the soul of man have patient waited;
"But now in league with it, in potent urging
"We raise the halt-compelling voice, in warning.
"The time has come for man to utilize our matchless powers
"For common use, and work for man's redemption!"
2.
On shady bank, by Erie's emptying mouth, I sat
And watched the forceful moving waters
In heaven of peaceful thought and reverie.
The passing mighty flood compactly ran in gathering strength
For mighty rush, and superb leap below.
3.
The green and stable shore cut here and there, for sluiced streams
To give their force and energy of love to flower and lawn,
And mirthful fountain, leaping high
In graceful curves of radiant sunlit globes of light.
To cool and energize the overburdened air;
That weary man and beast, and leaved and winged brotherhood
Might feel its vitalized caress, and resting,
Thank the ever-thoughtful, loving, universal fountain of all good.
4.
Another willful, independence-loving stream shot off from parent flood
With rush and shout of "Freedom and Autonomy;"
To devastate its banks, and flood the bordering swampy lands.
And wander far, in devious, crooked ways
Through barren land, and shady glen, o'er boisterous Lilliputian waterfall;
Till, weary, dwindling and ashamed,
It homeward turned to join the sweeping mother flood.
O'erjoyed again to mix its puny strength with potent parent might.
5.
A third and larger stream led off to laboring water wheels:
Bound for the time to use of man.
Its hidden energy let loose and manifest
In fabrics coarse and fine, in wares and implements;
In chained lightning captured from the ample earth and air; —
Twin nature giants thus subdued by man.
Transmuted by the alchemy of human thought to coming universal use and service.
Wire-led to light his devious selfish ways;
To draw his warriors, merchandise and righting, bartering self about
In quest of brothers' life and character, his lands and gold.
6.
Their willing work performed through human master's self-perverted, god-like power,
These chained giants 'scaped his selfish satan bonds
And homeward rushed to universal storage place of nature's energy.
Awhile to rest and cogitate, away from separateness
And towering pride, and love of power, and greed.
7.
Their well-done work they learned to love.
Not for themselves, but for the universal parent's sake — themselves a part —
Now manifest in greater good expressed to man — his wayward offspring —
Groping in selfish, lustful, earth-bound mental realm
In search of Spirit Light.
8.
Thus wiser grown, and strengthened by the Truth
Revealed through labor, pain and work accomplished,
These conscious, elemental gods stand eager, waiting
Their human master's call, again to labor
To aid him in his ceaseless search for Truth;
And point the way to him through nature's realm, — himself unconscious master —
To God, the Infinite, the Good in all;
To demonstrate that all in time and place is good, and therefore God expressed.
That man when acting right, unselfishly, by golden rule,
Has found his Soul, the loving, patient, long lost — crucified;
His ancient barter price for bitter, poisonous mess of pottage.
Has found the inner heavenly kingdom.
The within dwelling God, Father of all that lives on earth;
Has found himself, the Master,
Dragging all in sorrow downward into darkest night of spirit death:
Or leading upward into joyous, earthly heaven of peace and love.
Where men as brothers live
Like gods, in harmony of common service.
9.
So nature teaches man his origin divine, and mastery of himself, and it, Till, conscious of his god-like powers, he takes his long deserted place As Master over earth and its inhabitants, The elements and elementary things — his mind-born progeny.
10.
Then all that lives, and is;
The eager waiting universe.
The air, the mystery hiding deep.
The earth and all its visible and shadowy denizens.
Hearing the once thought dead, now found and living Master's vibrant resurrection "Word,"
Shall spring to joyous life, and formed in grand processional
Will follow Him with trust and loving pride,
By light of ever widening consciousness of life's evolving, mighty purpose.
To compass all-embracing, re-embodying, ever change-presenting, changeless Truth.
11.
Awakened man now conscious of his rightful power and God-hood.
Sounds back this answering challenge to his waiting, prostituted mate:
"Resistless power of nature's basic elements;
"I'll woo and make you mine by force of all-compelling love,
"To utilize your wasted energy for use divine, —
"For common benefit and good of all that lives."