My first step in this world was as a soldier, Turned seventeen and off to free the Cubans. I landed at Matanzas, served my time. Oh Liberty! Oh! struggles to make free All peoples, everywhere! And when I saw The American republic move to strike The chains of tyranny, I said: I die For such a cause, or live to see it won-- How glorious! My youthful mind was full Of Byron, Shelley, Paine, and many more-- And when I saw my republic go to war, Just as a good Samaritan, I said, This is my hour, I'm on the pinnacle, Life is divine at last. But on a sudden A north wind froze my waters, caught my stars To points of vision which before had been Mixed in the fluent time. We up and stole The Philippines, spit on our sacred charter, Turned all the thing to guts, until I heard Their growl alone which I thought spirit voices When we had warred for Cuba! 'Twas enough; What was my country? Just a mass of slickers Talking philanthropy and five per cent, A pious, blundering booby lodged at last In a great cæcum mouthing Destiny. God, with a leader just an actor-man, Clean shaven, shifty, shallow, whored upon By mercantilists and their butcher creed. I mean McKinley, Hanna. Write it down: They barbarized our Grecian temple, placed Cheap colored windows in its marble walls-- May history be their hell. But as for me, They talked of God so much, I said at last I'll learn all they can teach concerning God. This restless soldier spirit led me on, And just because I sensed the faithless age, Loveless and purposeless except for gold, The adventurer in me began to crop. Oh yes, the Cuban business started me. And so I went to college to prepare For the ministry, as they thought, go through the course Called theological, saying for the first: "They'd never know me now."