Inauguration Day
Richard Watson Gilder
On this great day a child of time and fate
On a new path a power doth stand and wait
Tho' heavy-burdened shall his heart rejoice,
Dowered with a nation's faith, an empire's choice.
Who hath no strength, but that the people give,
And in their wills, alone, his will doth live.
On this one day, this, this, is their one man,
The well-beloved, the chief American!
Whose people are his brothers, fathers, sons:
In this his strength, and not a million guns.
Whose power is mightier than the mightiest crown,
Because that soon he lays that power down.
Whose wish, linked to the people's, shall exceed
The force of civic wrong and banded greed.
Whose voice, in friendship or in warning heard
Brings to the nations a free people's word;
And, where the opprest out from the darkness grope,
'T is as the voice of freedom and of hope.
O pray that he may rightly rule the state,
And grow, in truly serving, truly great.
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