ROBERT LEADER
Greed for power, and greed for glory,
The double curse of mankind‘s story.
Since life first crawled and time began,
And earth was marked by steps of man,
The patterns of progression range,
Through dynasties of changeless change,
Heroes rise, dictators fall,
And heroes turn dictators all,
Each crashing down as each one must,
Dissolved by death, returned to dust,
And so through all eternity,
This torn world must divided be,
The only limit of the creeds,
The power-seeking men who lead,
Each King and Priest, Hero and knave,
Lusting for his share of fame,
Raising noble swords on high,
Fluttering banners to the sky,
Cries of Liberty and right,
When Liberty is only Death,
And right is only might.
And yet --
Through the curtained veils of sleeping time,
When life dwelt in primeval slime,
When all was helpless, groping, blind,
All one mindless, bestial kind,
The creature first to raise his eyes,
Towards the sun and stars and skies,
The first upon two legs to stand,
Was power-seeking, striving man,
Those who led us from the swamp,
To dignity and pride and pomp,
Who wrote our history's golden page,
And gave us all our heritage,
Who made our empires soar and flower,
In their lust for glory and for power,
Who showed us what a man is worth,
And made us masters of our earth,
Are those same kings and priests and knaves,
Who slumber silent in their graves.
The strive for power, the strive for glory,
The shining light of mankind's story.