The Comet and Other Verses Part 4

And when upon Life's field they fall, When Disappointment reigns supreme, Thy voice, omnipotent, would call E'en from the dust their fondest dream; Would call and wake the slumbering thought, And point it to some great ideal While adding all, but taking naught From out the present, living real.

Then, Hope, thou sentinel of light By Disappointment's lonely sh.o.r.e, Speak out amid the depth of night And guide us safely evermore.

Lines to Liars

Let lawyers harp about the law, And all its majesty and might; They find in every case a flaw And think they're right.

Let politicians praise the truth And laud its virtue to the sky-- They practice from their very youth To give the lie.

Let prophets send the saints to heaven And d.a.m.n poor sinners e'en to h.e.l.l-- How such authority is given They cannot tell.

Let doctors prate of human pain Alleviated by their skill, When Death's dull sickness comes, in vain Is every pill.

Let poets pipe of b.l.o.o.d.y war And claim its carnal method right; They're only piping cowards, for Not one will fight.

And so it seems we mortals boast Of knowledge where we know the least And show our ignorance the most Like any beast.

Fooling

He was a lad--a tender boy, And she--she held him as her toy, And when she wearied of his way And would with other playthings play, I heard him say beneath his breath:-- A fool am I; it is my death-- She jilted me--the little la.s.s,-- I will not let such fooling pa.s.s But s.h.i.+ft at once some bitter dart Back--back again into her heart, But then thought he--All those who play With fools are fools as well as they, And so he made a living rule:-- It takes a fool to fool a fool.