Stand straighter, O Love, stand straighter,
Stand straighter, and lift up thine eyes.
The wings of the sun sweep about us—-
We, the gift of the earth to the skies.

We have done what the god has forbidden—-
We have leapt to the boughs of our tree.
Yea, now the danger of height be unhidden
We laugh with how easy we see.

Fear was god’s name, and of olden
We bent for halt steps of his feet.
Now the dare-ways of life wave open
And faints in our ears his half beat.

He has crawled under dust at our leaping,
Lies blind in the dust, and is dead.
Brave Sight takes his place and, out-leafing,
Glances true My-space ahead.

Brave Sight, that is stronger than Heaven,
And purer than peace in a grave,
And though Joy’s not yet wholly unladen,
We are free, and we are not slave.

Step up, make it real—-your desire;
No high-rising effort should hide.
Reach lips in the name of our fire
Not curses of Hell can divide.

We have life, O Love, we are mortal,
And our blossoms of right are in hand;
Mid haloing rings of embracement
Our time-taking souls command.

Come, let’s foot off this little dim shadow,
There’s a full glad world to view—-
Smooth ways or stony to march in or seek in,
Strong ways and first ways and true.

Yes, this is the grace of_ our_ giving—-
That in choosing we use what we are,
And the courage of thought undeceiving
Out-leaps any error by far.

Up now, the mountains await us;
They list for the beat of our feet.
“We are coming, Beyond, we are coming;
Thine existence shall soon be complete.

“We are coming, far birds, we are coming;
Wing out thy songs upon air!
Forest and River, we thy meaning deliver;
For the plans of REAL makers prepare!

“O Earth, O Rich Matter, Sound Being,
On Thee we do set out to win,
With Inquisitive Eyes now all seeing
And Masterly Thought without sin.”

Stand straighter, O Love, stand straighter,
Show proudly the lust of thine eyes;
The praise of the sun pours upon us—-
We, the gift of the earth to the skies!