To slay Colombo, who drove us on
Over the madman’s sea.
I crouched behind him there in the prow,
But my dagger hand was faint,
For the moon was white on his upturned face—
Ah, God, 'twas the face of a saint.
How the commander’s will
Balked death, balked mutiny, laughed at fear,
And lashed us onward still;
Lashed us onward, till in the west
Under a midnight sky,
We saw the gleam of a floating fire
And knew that the land was nigh.
Bowing our heads in shame,
Kneel on the turf of the new-found world
And honor Colombo's name.
Hither mine host, and fill the cups!
Up to the roof be whirled
A shout, my men, for a king of men:
Colombo—who found a world.”
5
HOWARD McKINLEY CORNING
Howard McKinley Corning was born on October 23, 1896, on a farm near Lincoln, Nebraska. At the age of three the family moved to Ohio, where his schooling was somewhat limited by ill-health. In 1919 the family again moved, this time to Oregon, spending a few months at Salem and later settling in Portland. In that city, in a residence near Mount Tabor, he has lived most of the time since. All of his best known poetry was written there, with Mt. Hood visible to the east and the city below to the west. In addition to his writing, which has grown to include the short story, critical articles and book reviews, he has done some teaching and research work for the Portland Center of the State System of Higher Education. He
