"You are a citizen of the Republic and a sound animal
in all parts and functions—the Republic takes you"—
then to-day the baskets of flowers are all for the Republic,
the roses, the songs, the steamboat whistles,
the proclamations of the honorable orators—
they are all for the Republic.
And so to-day—they lay him away—
and an understanding goes — his long sleep shall be
under arms and arches near the Capitol Dome —
there is an authorization — he shall have tomb companions—
the martyred presidents of the Republic —
the buck private — the unknown soldier — 'that's him.
The man who was war commander of the armies of the Republic
rides down Pennsylvania Avenue —
The man who is peace commander of the armies of the Republic
rides down Pennsylvania Avenue—
for the sake of the Boy, for the sake of the Republic.
(And the hoofs of the skeleton horses
all drum soft on the asphalt footing—
so soft is the drumming, so soft the roll call
of the grinning sergeants calling the roll call—
so soft is it all—a camera man murmurs, "Moonshine.")
Page:Slabs of the sunburnt West.djvu/36
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22
And So To-day
