From The Detroit Times, November 25, 1913. By Berton Braley.
We Old Men try to fight them back
With all our craft and all our skill,
With every trick and every knack
Of brain and heart and soul and Will.
But oh, the Young Men follow still;
They ask and will not be denied.
And though they never mean us ill,
We feel them thrusting us aside!
Upon our olden gods we call
And to our ancient shrines we cling
But still without our castled wall
The Young Men’s voices clearly ring.
Upon their heads our wrath we fling,
Our cannon-shot upon them rain.
Our strategy and wiles we bring
Against their ranks—but all in vain!
Behind our barriers we stand
(Experience and Age and Power),
But Youth lays siege on every hand
And crowds us closer every hour;
The young men shell our moated tower,
They batter down each wall and gate,
And though we glare and though we glower,
At last we must capitulate.