A party of American scientists has succeeded in reaching a 4,500 ft. plateau in the Grand Canyon, Arizona, which has remained unexplored by the known world for at least 12,000 years. The party expects to make important discoveries.
Should you discover on that height
Some simple race still wrapped in ignorance,
Untaught in tales of man's immense advance
From the deep dark of neolithic night
To triumph, and that glorious upward flight
With all its count of pride and circumstance,
Of war and pageantry and high romance
That brought our lovely world to its last plight ---
Should you meet such, ah, seek not to invoke
Our gods of progress for them, nor increase
Man's knowledge 'mid these foolish, favoured folk.
Climb down, climb down again in haste and cease
Conversion, with man's message yet unspoke:
And leave them to their folly --- and their peace.
First published in The Herald, 20 September 1937;
and later in
The Courier-Mail, 2 October 1937.
Author reference sites: C.J. Dennis, Austlit, Australian Dictionary of Biography, Australian Poetry Library
See also.
