The Land of the Free

The land of the free is not only a name, But a vision of beauty that never can fade. From the mountains that rise like titans in flames,
To the valleys that smile in the sheen of the glade, The tender green fields and the bright, laughing streams, Brought my thoughts from the beating of here back to home, And the glories of life, like a dream, verily gleams, As we find in the skies, in the heart of the dome.

The promise of life, with its purest delight, Brought to me peace, while I laughed in the sun,— Sing,’ oh thou heavens! and give to this might, A libation to joy, when our work shall be done.

• Paul Laurence Dunbar