"A Far Country" by Leslie Pinckney Hill

View this email on a browser Forward to a friend Support Poem-a-Day January 12, 2020   A Far Country   Leslie Pinckney Hill

Beyond the cities I have seen, Beyond the wrack and din, There is a wide and fair demesne Where I have never been.   Away from desert wastes of greed, Over the peaks of pride, Across the seas of mortal need Its citizens abide.   And through the distance though I see How stern must be the fare, My feet are ever fain to be Upon the journey there.   In that far land the only school The dwellers all attend Is built upon the Golden Rule, And man to man is friend.   No war is there nor war's distress, But truth and love increase— It is a realm of pleasantness, And all her paths are peace.            This poem is in the public domain. Published in Poem-a-Day on January 12, 2020, by the Academy of American Poets. About this Poem   "A Far Country" was originally published in The Wings of Oppression (The Stratford Co., 1921).   Leslie Pinckney Hill was born in Lynchburg, Virginia, on May 14, 1880. A graduate of Harvard University's bachelor's and master's programs, Hill was a poet, playwright, educator, and community leader and organizer. His published works include The Wings of Oppression (The Stratford Co., 1921) and the play Toussaint L' Ouverture, A Dynamic History (The Christopher Publishing House, 1928). He served as a teacher, principal, and administrator for several educational institutions and died in 1960. Poetry by Hill   The Wings of Oppression (The Stratford Co., 1921) "America" by Claude McKay "The Tradition" by Jericho Brown "Watch Us Elocute" by Marcus Wicker January Guest Editor: Meg Day   Thanks to Meg Day, author of Last Psalm at Sea Level (Barrow Street, 2014), who curated Poem-a-Day for this month's weekdays. Read a Q&A about Day's curatorial approach and find out more about our guest editors for the year. A culture break, a source of daily renewal...   If reading Poem-a-Day has become a meaningful part of your day, please consider supporting this free series with a donation. Your gift makes publishing Poem-a-Day possible. Thanks for being a part of the Academy of American Poets community. To learn about other programs, including National Poetry Month, Poem in Your Pocket Day, the annual Poets Forum, and more, visit poets.org   Unsubscribe here.   © Academy of American Poets 75 Maiden Lane, Suite 901, New York, NY 10038