Home Lyrics: A Book of Poems Part 14

SELF DENIAL.

Teacher sublime, great, grand and free!

My spirit loves and honours thee, Who taught that all religion ran, In love to G.o.d, and love to man.

Grand, comprehensive standard this, To lead mankind to peace and bliss, Inspiring them, when well unfurled, To link in brotherhood the world.

Could any sect or doctrine claim A higher, n.o.bler, holier aim?

And should not all religion tend, To this all-glorious G.o.d-like end?

The greatest teacher ever known, This simple rule of life has shown Should be the standard for all time, Of all the sons of every clime.

If then Christ's soul-inspiring plan, Makes love to G.o.d and love to man, Embrace all duties, and insure Virtue and happiness most pure.

Why vex the world with differing creeds, Which meet not universal needs, Which sore perplex and lead the mind To separate, not link mankind?

For would not self-denial spring From such rich soil, and blessings bring, Which would provoke each one to be His brother's helper ceaselessly?

If each love G.o.d with heart and mind, And treat as brethren all mankind, All other virtues must perforce, Outflow from such inspiring source.

Such life divine inspired within, Would form stern barriers to all sin, And be the motive power to lead, To all that man could wish or need.

Blest reason, long dethroned, might then Become the guide of erring men, Blind superst.i.tion meet its doom, Within an unregretted tomb.

Let all with one accord then bend, Their powers to further this grand end, Love then would herald the new birth, Of peace and good will through the earth.

TO A FAITHFUL DOG.

Poor Tyne! no verse of mine has ever sung The praise of one more faithful than thou wert, For warm affection formed a major part Of thy canine existence, now, alas!

Cut short by sad and cruel accident.

We cannot choose but mourn thee, good old dog, Who for a period of thirteen years Guarded the family hearth and claimed a share Of warm affection in its daily life, Watching through tender, melancholy eyes, Each loved one forming its component parts.

Ready to follow, sport, caress or play, If but a kind word led the cue or way, _Parisien emigre_ of sixty-seven, Reserved for kinder, more congenial fate Than thy unhappy brethren of the siege; Perchance with instinct keen thou did'st rejoice To leave thy native land, o'ercharged with strife, And on a foreign sh.o.r.e tell out thy life.

Thy soft, thick, creamy coat, expressive tail, Deep, l.u.s.trous, loving eyes, short bark and wail; Thy wild delight at prospect of a walk, Glad boundings over green sward fresh and free, Thy look of conscious guilt when wrong was done, And patient waiting at thy master's side, For well-selected morsel of each meal; Thy pleadings, far more eloquent than words Of mine could ever chronicle, thy sweet Low whinings of inquiry or desire, All will be long remembered, watcher true, Good, old, affectionate, responsive Tyne!

FLOWERS.

Is there a heart so sere as not to feel Pleasures innumerable o'er it stead, In sweet surroundings of earth's lovely flowers, Which cheer and elevate man's saddest hours.

Sweet messages from heaven they convey, Through perfumed breath they sing their G.o.d-taught-lay, Root firmly bedded in the active sod, And eye turned upward to their Father G.o.d.

Pure gems of earth are beauteous to behold, Set in the royalty of burnished gold; But what is their dead beauty, to the glow Of living, loving glory which flowers show?

Kind angel messengers to earth they seem, Suggestive of hopes radiant, evergreen, And of a future blossoming above, In an eternal home of blissful love.

Types of what earthly love is meant to be, Struggling through labours to existence free.

Then putting on a fragant outgrowth, rife With joy for others, through true flowering life.

Sweet influences borne on angel wing, These odorous blossoms to the sad heart sing, Diffusing added zest to joyful mirth, And spreading ripening gladness through the earth.

The perfume of a flower, a touch, a tone, Oft waken memories of dear days gone, Wherein an atmosphere of earthly bliss, A plighted love was sealed with thrilling kiss.

Who has not treasured some poor faded flower?

In token of a radiant, love lit hour, When life was one delicious joyful dream, Ere we had learnt "things are not what they seem."

Sweet rose! in sunlit robes of beauty rare, Which loads with fragrance the enraptured air, Reposing gracefully on verdant stem, Thou art of all earth's flowers the choicest gem!

Well has our country done in making thee An emblem of her nationality; Thy beauteous form, sweet breath and sunset sheen, Make thee of all earth's loveliest flowers the Queen!

Who says that Scotland's thistle is not fair?

Of st.u.r.dy growth and free determined air, Type of a race, in mental vigour strong, Of perseverance and endurance long.

The shamrock with its triple verdant smile, Fit emblem of our emerald sister isle!

Whose people's pleasant humour laughs down care, As they good fellows.h.i.+p delight to share.

May thistle, shamrock, rose, for aye intwine In union and brotherhood sublime; And every Briton heavenward waft the prayer, That each the other's weal or woe still share.

Narcissus, sacred to proud Juno once, Was afterwards the flower of cultured France, Then the dynastic emblem of Savoy, Now, the red Indian's magic herb and joy.

The violets of cla.s.sic Athens too, Of modest bearing and enchanting hue, In the accomplishment of time became, Napoleon's violets of world-wide fame.

Nabra.s.sor's Queen, tired of the level plains Which her adopted Babylonia claims, Sighed for her Midian gardens and sweet flowers, To cheer her in her few retiring hours.

She sighed not long or vainly, for her lord Called art to rival nature; at his word Bewitching gardens with rare flowers were Formed and suspended in mid-air for her.

Let all be grateful to these flower friends, Who to life's pleasure such rich fragrance lends, And strive, like them through perfumed actions clear, Others to gladden, elevate and cheer.

Then will they not have toiled and smiled in vain, For man a fuller, freer life to gain, In bright incentives to enjoyments sure, Through sympathetic nature's teachings pure.