THE BRAVEST BATTLE.
Joaquin Miller
he bravest battle that ever was fought; - Shall I tell you where and when?
- On the maps of the world you will find it not;
- It was fought by the mothers of men.
- Nay, not with cannon or battle shot,
- With sword or nobler pen;
- Nay not with eloquent word or thought,
- From mouths of wonderful men,
- But deep in a walled-up woman's heart—
- Of woman that would not yield,
- But patiently, silently bore her part—
- Lo! there in that battlefield.
- No marshaling troop, no bivouac song;
- No banner to gleam and wave;
- And oh! these battles they last so long—
- From babyhood to the grave!
- Yet, faithful still as a bridge of stars,
- She fights in her walled-up town—
- Fights on and on in the endless wars,
- Then silent, unseen—goes down.