_By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow_
Methought I saw a thousand fearful wraiths
Rise from the earth and stand with shadowy forms
In the dim twilight of the haunted moon,
A spectral gathering of the dead and gone.
They passed athwart the vision of my soul
Like some dark pageant of forgotten years;
And as I watched, the scene began to change
And take a semblance to the world I knew.
The wraiths grew less distinct, and I beheld
A realm most beautiful and new,
A world where peace and love and joy abounded,
And pain and sorrow seemed to disappear.
And as I gazed, I heard a voice that said,
"This is the new sonnet, the world renewed,
Where darkness turns to light, and life to love,
And all things are made new."
And then I knew that I had seen a vision
Of the world that could be, and I was filled with hope.
For if this world can be renewed,
Then all things are possible.
Let us strive, then, to make this new world a reality.
Let us sow seeds of peace and love and joy,
And let us work to eradicate pain and sorrow.
And let us never forget that all things are possible,
If we only believe.