For We Forgot
Apologies to Rudyard Kipling
God of our fathers, known of old,
Have mercy on this age of crime,
Forgive our love of drink and gold,
Our deafness to Thy voice from time
Lord God of Hosts is with us not,
For we forgot — for we forgot.
The people’s drunken jeers arise
The leaders of our land take part,
See how thine ancient sacrifice
Brings not to man a contrite heart.
Lord God of Hosts is with us not,
For we forgot — for we forgot.
Far flung our drinking men today
Upon our people bring despair.
Our people have forgot the fate
Of drunken Nineveh and Tyre.
Judge of the nations, ease our lot,
For we forgot — for we forgot.
Now, drunk with wine and power we loose
Our drunken passions unrestrained,
We bow our head to Great God Booze
Forgetting that the wise abstained.
Lord God of Hosts is with us not,
For we forgot — for we forgot.
By foolish vote we put our trust
In reeking beer hall and saloon,
By evil and impassioned lust
We lead our nation down to ruin.
For love of self, but not Thy Word,
Thy mercy on Thy children, Lord.
– EMMETT ENOCH.
The Voice of Temperance Scrapbook – 9 Winters of Prayers & Poems from Prohibition is a weekly journey through one of history’s most unique relics of faith and reform. This scrapbook, preserved across nine winters, blends heartfelt poetry with fervent prayers from the Prohibition era—a time when voices of temperance sought to guide communities toward sobriety, strength, and moral conviction. Each entry offers not only a glimpse into the spiritual and cultural mindset of the early 20th century, but also a window into how ordinary people used words to grapple with change, hope, and resilience.
Every week, we will highlight one poem and one prayer from the collection, pairing them with a touch of historical context and reflection. Whether you come for the rhythm of the verse, the quiet power of the prayers, or the curiosity of uncovering forgotten pages of the past, this series will celebrate the endurance of the written word and the human spirit through nine long winters of conviction and devotion.
In 1936 for nine winters “The Voice of Temperance” was broadcast over radio stations. Thousands of poems, newspaper clippings, excerpts of temperance addresses, and personal experiences we mailed to the author Sam Morris. Radio listeners copied or clipped most of them from books, magazines, or newspapers without giving their source or author. We had no thought of putting them into a book and so merely pasted them into a handy reference book. But so many requests had come for copies that we have collected those most often requested into this Scrap Book for wider distribution.
Naturally under the circumstances indicated above, it has been impossible to check up and secure the individual permission to publish each one; we have no desire to infringe upon copyright privileges or personal ownerships. We have indicated authorship where it was known and should there be any infringement upon copyright or personal ownership we shall be only too glad to correct the infringement in future editions.
With this brief explanation we send forth this unique Scrap Book with the prayer that its contents may contribute to the moral and spiritual betterment of human society.
Sincerely,
SAM MORRIS
“The Voice of Temperance”
