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U NC OL L E C T E D A N D O T H E R P OE M S | 189 That State would guard the baby unafraid, And see that no more criminals were made? Wouldn’t you think, since prisons cost so dear; Since keeping prisoners all the guards degrade; Since men imprisoned leave all poorer here For lack of each man’s service in his trade, Since prisoners’ families the wolf must fear, Or tax the State as our tax-payers know; Since long the lists of legal costs appear; Wouldn’t you think—if all these things are so— Society would find it less a curse To make men better than to make them worse? (Survey, 22 April 1916, 101) Woman’s Hour Not for herself! Though sweet the air of freedom; Not for herself! Though dear for the new-born power; But for the Child who needs a nobler Mother, For the Whole People needing One Another, Comes Woman to her Hour. (Woman’s Journal, 9 December 1916, 397) Two Man the hunter, Man the warrior, Slew for gain and slew for safety, Slew for rage, for sport, for glory— Slaughter was his breath; So the man’s mind, searching inward, Saw in all one red reflection, Filled the world with dark religions Built on Death, Death, and the Fate of the Soul;— The Soul, from the body dissevered, Through the withering failure of age, Through the horror and pain of disease, Through raw wounds and destruction and fear;— In fear, black fear of the dark, Red fear of terrible gods, Sent forth on its journey alone, To eternity, fearful, unknown— Death, and the Fate of the Soul. Woman, bearer; Woman, teacher; Overflowing love and labor, Service of the tireless mother 190 | Uncollected and Other Poems Filling all the earth;— Now her mind awakening, searching, Sees a fair world young and growing, Sees at last our real religion— Built on Birth. Birth, and the Growth of the Soul;— The Soul, in the body established, In the ever-new beauty of childhood, In the wonder of opening power, Still learning, improving, achieving, In hope, new knowledge, and light, Sure faith in the world’s fresh Spring,— Together we live, we grow, On the earth that we love and know— Birth, and the Growth of the Soul. (from His Religion and Hers [New York: Century, 1923], n.p.) The Primal Power Would ye plant the earth with new-made men? A race new-born, a race unstained? Clothed in flesh that hath no flaw, One with nature, one with law, Strong-souled, clear-brained? This may motherhood achieve, Full-grown mothers brave and free, Splendid bodies trained and strong, Hearts that ache for human wrong, Eyes that can see. Learning new their primal power, A reign forgot, a crown disowned; Rising from their prison blind, Pets and servants of mankind, Re-born, re-throned. Theirs the power beyond appeal To choose the good, reject the base; So shall all degenerate blood Die, forbidden fatherhood— So rise our race! (from His Religion and Hers [New York: Century, 1923], 96–97) [I’m not feathers, beak, and wings] I’m not feathers, beak, and wings, A bird that flies, a bird that sings,— No, you have the handle wrong; ...
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