Can a man discover a sea?
Can a human eye that's sealed by a night and sun-dazed by day
discover a sea?
Discover, O discover a far-going, a far-coming endless,
sky-meeting, infinitely finite sea?
Could a Balboa discover a sea?
* * * * *
Yes--
A dew-drop can orb a sun.
A telescope can enfold the stars of a sky.
A pure heart can incarnate God.
And an eye opened by fate, visioned by providence, looking
out from a Panama peak can discover an endless sea!
* * * * *
And great explorer--could you arise and speak--
How did you feel when you discovered a sea?
Did you feel like a babe first opening its eyes from marge to
marge on heaven's blue skys?
Did you feel like a mariner sailing the ship of the Earth out
through the gates of the dawn?
Did you feel like a soul just escaping from its clay out into
the joy of the freedom of space into a home built from
the light of the suns?
Looking, looking, looking far outward, how did you feel when
you first saw the sea?
Descending, walking towards the shores, approaching the
waters; how did you feel when, with the ineffable shock
of a glorious discovery, you first touched the sea?
* * * * *
And great explorer--could you but speak--
What would you say to a whole coast with pilgrims from all
the world inquiring of thee?
What would you say, standing now at the mingling of two
vast seas.
Looking west, west, west until west becomes east,
Looking east, east, east until east becomes west,
You could not declare consistently that this is for England,
for Germany or America alone.
But inspired by the thought of the hour, we feel sure you
would exclaim:
"I--the first to touch both the hemispheric waters--
Hear me, all nations, O hear me,
Claim the intermingling oceans for 'The Republic of The
United Seas.'"
* * * * *
Yes a man can discover a sea and also cross a sea
And also chart a sea and even unite the seas,
And civilize and uplift all the people in the nations
bordering and tributary to their shores.
Made in the image of God, a little lower than the angels.
He can gain full dominion over its wide flowing waters,
And on the pillars of courage build essential, earthwide
democracy.
* * * * *
Strong men, this, then is the hour's decree!
Look upward in faith, move outward in service
From the harbor of the present to the wide-emancipating
future that is to be.