Charles Mackay

Clear the Way

Men of thought! be up, and stirring
              Night and day:
Sow the seed — withdraw the curtain —
              CLEAR THE WAY!
Men of action, aid and cheer them,
              As ye may!
There's a fount about to stream,
There's a light about to beam,
There's a warmth about to glow,
There's a flower about to blow;
There's a midnight blackness changing
              Into grey;
Men of thought and men of action,
              CLEAR THE WAY!

Once the welcome light has broken,
              Who shall say
What the unimagined glories
              Of the day?
What the evil that shall perish
              In its ray?
Aid the dawning, tongue and pen;
Aid it, hopes of honest men;

Aid it, paper — aid it, type —
Aid it, for the hour is ripe,
And our earnest must not slacken
              Into play.
Men of thought and men of action,
              CLEAR THE WAY!

Lo! a cloud's about to vanish
              From the day;
And a brazen wrong to crumble
              Into clay.
Lo! the right's about to conquer:
              CLEAR THE WAY!
With the right shall many more
Enter smiling at the door;
With the giant wrong shall fall
Many others, great and small,
That for ages long have held us
              For their prey;
Men of thought and men of action,
              CLEAR THE WAY!