diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'old/51554-0.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | old/51554-0.txt | 1617 |
1 files changed, 0 insertions, 1617 deletions
diff --git a/old/51554-0.txt b/old/51554-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 2d4050a..0000000 --- a/old/51554-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1617 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Poems, by D. M. Matheson - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: Poems - -Author: D. M. Matheson - -Release Date: March 25, 2016 [EBook #51554] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK POEMS *** - - - - -Produced by Larry B. Harrison, Chuck Greif and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - - - - POEMS - - BY - - D. M. MATHESON - - EX-PRINCIPAL - - ALEXANDER MCKAY SCHOOL - - [Illustration: colophon] - - HALIFAX, N. S. - - - - -CONTENTS - - -Indian Summer 3-4 - -Mother Love 4 - -Petoobok 5-6 - -Langemarc 7 - -Edith Cavell 8 - -Cardinal Mercier 8 - -The Bard of Ayr 9 - -The Soul of Flanders 10 - -The Gardens 11 - -Keep the Gardens Growing 12 - -An Elegy Written in Richmond 13-17 - -The Cottage School 18-21 - -December Sixth 1917 22-23 - -Life Is But One Darn Thing After Another 24 - -Courcellette 25-26 - -Vimy Ridge 27-28 - -God Save Our Empire 29 - -The Veteran 30 - - - - -INDIAN SUMMER - - - Fair are fleets of white winged prows - Swiftly sailing o’er the sea; - Fair are herds of homing cows, - Winding slowly o’er the lea; - Fair are orchards, when replete - With rich blossoms pink and white; - Fair are fields of ripening wheat - Shining in the morning light; - Fair is any mountain sheet - Burnishing in colors bright; - - Fair are all Acadia’s lands; - All its streams and wooded lakes, - Headlands high and pebbly strands, - When the early morning breaks, - Fair its scented flowers and trees, - And its many landlocked bays, - Rippling in the summer breeze; - Themes for minstrel muses’ lays-- - But far fairer than all these - Are Acadia’s autumn days. - - Made from heavenly design - By some unseen Artisan; - Gift of Architect divine, - To Acadia’s Weather man. - Fairest season of the year, - When boon Nature’s at her height - Robed in all her beauty sere, - And fair Luna sheds her light - With a more bewitching cheer - Through the watches of the night. - - And God’s lowly creatures all, - Who the freeman’s burden bore, - Having heeded labor’s call - Now have plentitude in store, - And from every household hearth - Nightly offered up the “word”. - As a sacrifice of worth - To a kind and gracious Lord - For the riches of the earth, - Filling thus the family board. - - And a thrill of peaceful joy - Permeates the human breast - And the starry vaulted sky - Seemingly is at its best, - For old Sol in all his pride - Scorpion doth then adorn, - Midway in his yearly ride - ’Twixt the Line and Capricorn. - In this lovely Autumntide - Was Waegwoltic’s wedding morn. - -[Illustration: decoration of text] - - - - -MOTHER LOVE - - - Mother! All that’s blest and good, - Centres round that treasured word, - Mother-love and motherhood! - Sweetest sounds man ever heard, - Mother! blest and sweetest name, - Spoken by the human tongue, - Age and youth do thee acclaim, - Angels have thy praises sung, - And the greatness of thy fame, - Hath through all the ages rung. - - Mother-love! whose fountain flow, - Feedeth man the living breath, - And which burns with tenser glow, - Even when he’s cold in death; - Blest and wondrous gift divine - Of the master Artisan - In fair Eden’s holy shrine - To the fallen creature man, - When fell Satan did design - To destroy Creation’s plan. - -[Illustration: decoration of text] - - - - -PETOOBOK - - - Of Petoobok and of its golden sea, - The fairest gem of Nature’s fashioning - The beauty spot of beauteous Acadie, - Its summer and its winter scenes I sing: - Here in primeval days great Neptune wise - Conspired with Fora, bounteous and free, - To make a masterpiece, a paradise, - Where Nymphs and Naiad’s might forever woo; - And now by night and day it ever lies - Reflecting in its waters, deep and blue - The heavenly wonders of the vaulted skies. - - In splendour, wild and picturesque and grand, - Beneath its sentinel hills like crystal set - With rarest taste by God and Nature’s hand. - It mirrors in its depth the silhouette - Of mountains, which, like heroes of romance, - Along its lovely shores forever stand, - To guard the waters of its vast expanse, - And holds to-day the same bewitching charm - Of loveliness divine, you to entrance, - As on the morn the cry of Golden Arm, - Burst from the lips of sons of sunny France. - - Lake Petoobok, on summer afternoon - Looks fair and lovely to the mortal gaze, - And lovely too, what time the hunter’s moon - Illuminates it with her bewitching rays, - As it lies sleeping ’neath its guardian hills - By Flora robed in beauty, rare and boon, - With foliage of variegated frills - On which the dancing beams like fairies glint - And from Dame Nature’s ample store distils - Those dyes of one and thousand autumn tints - Wrought by some magic hand in fairy mills. - - But Petoobok is fairest to behold - On Autumn morn, when orient Sunlight breaks - In radiant glory on its arm of gold, - And gentle noosuk[A] into the ripples shakes, - The placid surface of its crystal sea, - And to the eye a vista doth unfold, - A wondrous scene of heavenly alchemy, - Like that told us by John in Holy Writ, - Which fills the soul with perfect ecstasy, - And which once seen, though time be preterit - In after life in dreams you’ll ever see. - - [A] West wind.s - - - - -LANGEMARC - -(1915) - - - Sleep on ye brave Canadians, - In Langemarc’s blood-stained mead, - Your glorious act will ever rank - A truly golden deed, - Sleep on with France and Briton - And Belgian, side by side, - Sleep ye and they your last long sleep, - The last roll call to bide. - - And mother nature, gentlest nurse, - Will ever nightly lave - Your lowly grave with kindly dews - While weeping willows wave; - And kindly zephyrs every day, - And every night will sigh, - A sweet memoriam for aye, - Your tomb to sanctify. - - And Belgian maids and matrons, too - Will often leave the loom - To gather wilding flowers, - To beautify your tomb; - And peasants when they pass your way, - Oft to their sons will say: - “’Twas here the brave Canadians - The fierce Huns held at bay.” - - And when the Angel Gabriel, - Shall sound the trumpet blast, - Then you shall all awaken - From your seeming death at last, - And, standing at attention, - While angel voices sing, - In unison you will salute, - The universal King. - - - - -EDITH CAVELL - -(1916) - - - Dear martyred maid, thy cruel death hath thrilled - With loathing deep the whole of human kind - Against the Hun who thy death sentence signed; - Thy barb’rous death all manly hearts hath filled - With feelings such as never can be stilled; - In every home thy name is hence enshrined, - Thy death scene pictured clear in every mind - In thy life’s blood, the murd’rous Hun hath spilled - Angelic maid, could we but lift the veil - Which hides from mortal eyes God’s holy land - With Joan of Arc and Florence Nightingale, - Thy wounded temple with a filet bound, - With harp in hand, thy head with glory crowned, - Amidst the heavenly choir we’d see thee stand. - -[Illustration: decoration of text] - - - - -TO CARDINAL MERCIER - -(1916) - - - Illustrious shepherd of the Prince of Peace, - With priestly zeal you watched thy Belgian fold, - Any aye performed its duties manifold, - That love and virtue did therein increase, - And want and sorrow all the while surcease, - While Christian culture her rich page enrolled - Heroic men and women chaste to mould; - The cross, thy sceptre, and the crook, thy creese: - But when the robber Hun assailed thy flock, - Then stood you forth, the patriot and priest, - With clarion call to champion the right, - And met the onset of the Prussian beast - And all the hosts of his embattled might, - Firm and immovable, as Zion’s Rock. - - - - -THE BARD OF AYR - -(1915) - - - Oh come sweet muse, with well tuned lyre, - On this our Robbie’s natal day, - A rustic poet’s mind inspire - That he may sing a homely lay. - - Of all the warblers ever born, - I dearly love the bard of Ayr, - Whose lovely songs both night and morn, - Have freed my wearied mind from care. - - If fault he had, ’twas Nature’s fault, - And man, beware that you have none, - Before you do yourself exalt, - To cast at Robbie Burns a stone. - - I wish he was with us tonight, - To pass a pleasant hour or two, - And fill all hearts with rare delight, - As he was ever wont to do. - - Methinks e’en now I see him sit - The centre of an eager throng, - And hear his ceaseless flow of wit, - Or words of some soul stirring song. - - His lovely songs will e’er be sung, - And greener grow his memory, - ’Mong people whether old or young, - Till father Time has ceased to be. - - - - -THE SOUL OF FLANDERS - -(1916) - - - The chimes that oft from old Malines, - Rang out their sacred strain, - At morning, noon and eventide, - Shall never ring again; - That voice that called the living, - Or sadly mourned the dead, - Is still and silent now for aye: - The soul of Flanders’ fled. - - The peasant at his daily toil, - Shall listen now in vain, - From early morn till evening, - To hear those chimes again; - But never shall such silver sounds - By harmony inbred, - Fall on his ever listening ears; - The soul of Flanders’ fled. - - Those lovely chimes, which e’er were wont - To sound with morn’s first beams, - And ’wake the tourist from his sleep, - Will haunt his waking dreams; - But never more those dulcet sounds - Will rouse him from his bed, - And fill his soul with ecstasy: - The soul of Flanders’ fled. - - ’Tis strangely sad such chimes as those, - Which seemed a heavenly dow’r, - Should fall a prey to tyranny, - And war’s barbaric pow’r, - A city new will rise again - Up from its ashen bed, - But those old chimes shall ring no more: - The soul of Flanders’ fled. - - - - -THE GARDENS - -(1914) - - - Lovely Gardens, Eden’s bower, - Lovely in sunshine and shower. - Winding walks and shaded seats, - Babbling streams and cool retreats, - Flowing fountains throwing spray, - O’er the fishes at their play, - Geese and ducklings in the pond, - By the white swan chaperoned, - Grassy plots well trimmed and neat, - Decked with flowers, gay and sweet, - Trees and shrubs so sweetly blending - All its beauties never ending; - Fit place for the aged to talk - And for babes to learn to walk; - Wandering swains and straying madams, - Modern Eves and modern Adams; - Place where friend a friend may meet; - Lovers here each other greet, - And a groom and summer bride - On their honeymoon abide. - - - - -KEEP THE GARDENS GROWING - -(1918) - - - We were summoned from the play-ground, - We were called in from the wood, - And our country found us ready - At the stirring call for food. - Do not add unto our burden, - If you hap to pass along, - For, although our backs are breaking, - You can hear us sing this song:-- - - CHORUS - - Keep the gardens growing, - Digging, planting, hoeing; - If you plant and weed aright - The crop will grow. - Do not stand repining - While the sun is shining, - Turn the good soil inside out, - And fertilize and sow. - - Mother Britain sent a message, - To her daughter in the West, - “We need every kind of food-stuffs,” - So we’re bound to do our best; - For the soldiers in the trenches - And the homeland we must feed, - And no worthy son will fail her, - When his mother is in need. - - - - -AN ELEGY WRITTEN IN RICHMOND - - -I - - Low in the eastern sky the breaking light - Pales in the vault of heaven the morning star, - Presaging me the dying hour of night, - And that the twilight gray is not afar; - - -II - - For night is slowly changing into morn, - And through the gloom the forms of ships appear. - Across the Arm below, the bugle horn - Reveille’s call brings to my listening ear. - - -III - - No other sound is on the morning air - To echo back from hills and dales around; - No home has man; no beast has here lair, - And desolation seems to own the ground; - - -IV - - Save me who sit beneath an aged elm - Which some one’s home at Richmond once did grace, - Ere fell misfortune did it overwhelm - And left this tree alone to mark the place. - - -V - - Yet here I am beneath this hoary tree - And ruminate upon the recent past-- - If such events again should hap to be-- - The ruins round their gloomy bodings cast. - - -VI - - But still I sit amidst these scenes of death - Which call to mind that dire December day, - When Fate unkindly blew his blighting breath, - Reducing homes to dust, and men to clay. - - -VII - - And question thus: “Was there no law amiss? - Had no officials power to prevent - A devastation, dark and drear, as this? - Was Richmond’s loss naught but an accident?” - - -VIII - - And in my breast a rising hate I feel - For man-made Laws which oft protect the High - And leave the Low their grievous wounds to heal - And bear their load of sorrow till they die. - - -IX - - A sense of sadness passes through my soul, - An earthly grief akin to human-kind, - But ere this sorrow sad doth reach its goal - Celestial musings fill my troubled mind. - - -X - - The hatred lately felt within my breast - And which I vainly thought naught could allay - Until my spirit passed to its last rest; - I surely find is speeding fast away. - - -XI - - Some Spirit sweet seems near to me abide - Who doth from me remove all earthly dread, - And in most soothing ways my senses chide - That I hold counsel with the living dead. - - -XII - - I look around to see whose is the voice - Whose cadence falls so sweetly on my ear - As thus to make my hating heart rejoice, - But vain my quest, no living soul is near. - - -XIII - - A spirit voice I know, it needs must be - That sounds upon the air with silv’ry tone - And yet, withal, no fears arise in me, - Though midst the ruins here I am alone. - - -XIV - - The voice now cautions me to listen well, - And in harmonious tones with lightning speed - This story he narrates for me to tell, - And thus I write it down that all may read. - - -XV - - “That fatal morn, when Richmond felt secure, - With many more I ran to yonder hill - To watch the burning ship, all feeling sure - That nothing round could do us harm or ill. - - -XVI - - “And why should aught around fill us with fears - Did we not know: The flag that braves the breeze - On land and sea for full one thousand years, - Flew o’er our city still and o’er our seas? - - -XVII - - “The scene was bright and beautiful and grand, - With florid streamers shooting far on high, - And none who viewed the scene from sea or land - Were cognizant they were so soon to die. - - -XVIII - - “Whose was the fault is not for me to tell.-- - The Judge of All shall surely justice mete - To those who prematurely rang our knell - When they are come to His just judgement seat. - - -XIX - - “You wonder why I wander ’neath the vault - Of heaven here and fain would ask-- - ’Tis but to beg forgiveness of a fault - And do again another ill-done task. - - -XX - - “Though young in life, in wisdom now I’m old, - For I’ve passed through the chast’ning purge of fire; - My harp, though silver now, will soon be gold, - When time has passed and I have mounted higher. - - -XXI - - “Along the path with slow increasing pace - Into the realms of peace where all is light; - ’Till I have reached my time allotted seat, - There, to enjoy the beatific sight. - - -XXII - - “Of God for aye and His hosannas sing, - Amidst the saints of His twice chosen few, - Before the treble throne of God, our King, - The vision of whose glory’s ever new. - - -XXIII - - “The path is long, yet shorter may be made - By alms and prayers and other deeds of worth; - The happy day may, too, long be delayed - By thoughtless unforgiving hearts on earth. - - -XXIV - - “Then do good deeds while in the flesh, my friend - And trespassers forgive, lest you forget - Such charity, till you have reached the end - Of life with some one unforgiven yet. - - -XXV - - “Take heed that you will e’er remember this, - Lest you, as others did so oft before, - May cross that cold and ever dark abyss - Which separates earth from the spirit shore. - - -XXVI - - “Which lieth far beyond the farthest sun, - And trembling stand before high Heaven’s court - With unforgiven thought and task undone; - No camouflage to which you can resort. - - -XXVII - - “Be ye a man of lore, unlearned or youth, - Will there, as here on earth, avail you aught; - Nor will forensic speech conceal the truth - In your account of deed and word and thought. - - -XXVIII - - “In stilly night I’ve often wandered here - Far from those realms beyond the starry sky, - O’er that long way, so lonely, dark and drear, - But now the hour of bliss for me draws nigh. - - -XXIX - - “For soon the pearly gates, which now bar me, - Through which the sainted souls have ever trod - Will open wide and I shall ever see - The pristine glory of the throne of God.” - - - - -THE COTTAGE SCHOOL. - - -I - - Summer time was in the waning, - Vesper Sun was wending low, - And reminiscences brought me - Back to school days long ago - There the school-house stood before me, - And I was on hallowed ground, - Where each old association - Inspiration breathed around. - - -II - - Full in view the school was standing - Near the road and yet aloof, - Four square walls in ochre painted, - Topped off with a cottage roof. - In the distance old Atlantic - Glistened as in days of yore, - While upon his glimmering bosom, - White caps rolled towards the shore. - - -III - - On the diamond boys were playing - Base-ball, with eclat and shout; - Saw the batter three times fanning, - Heard the umpire’s “Batter’s out.” - Saw some other hit a grounder, - Speed away like a winged bird; - Heard the rooters merry shouting, - As he landed safe on third. - - -IV - - Heard the maidens merry laughter, - As they played upon the green, - And the rythm of their footfalls, - Skipping o’er the hard terrene, - Saw the little boys and maidens - Drinking at the nearby well: - And upon the air vibrating - Heard again the master’s bell. - - -V - - Plainly heard the foot-step sounding - On the floor with measured beats, - While the boys and girls were filing - Through the aisles towards their seats. - Saw the whole class sitting upright, - In position, one and all; - Heard distinctly “Here” and “Absent,” - Answered to the master’s call. - - -VI - - I could see the master’s visage, - With its look of learned lore, - While Sol’s summer shadows lengthened - Slowly o’er the school house floor; - O’er his head there hung a motto - With the words, “God Bless Our School” - Standing in the left-hand corner - Was the oft-used Dunces’ stool. - - -VII - - Heard him from the Holy Bible - Read from some New Testament, - And to each and every passage, - Young and old, attention lent. - Heard once more the school repeating - Earnestly the Saviour’s prayer, - While around a holy stillness - Floated on the ev’ning air. - - -VIII - - Saw the school take first position - At the sound of warning gong, - Heard the master’s voice intoning - Some old school or college song; - Saw all in position standing - With demeanour calm and still; - Saw them going through the movements - Of the military drill. - - -IX - - On the walls the maps were hanging, - Colored in blue, red and gold, - Ornamented with the pictures - Of the noted men of old. - Moral maxims, plainly written - On the board in plain relief, - “Order Is First Law of Heaven,” - With some others terse and brief. - - -X - - Summaries of all the home-work - By to-morrow to be learned; - Saw, too, some make interchanges - When the master’s back was turned. - On their slates the younger pupils - Strove to make their cranes and hooks, - While the older ones were busy - Writing in their copy books. - - -XI - - Heard them spell and give the meaning, - And pronounce in unison; - Heard them too, in concert reading, - Reading also, one by one. - Saw them, on the Black-board, parsing - With and without formal line; - Use of “a” and “n” explaining - “These” and “those” and “thy” and “thine.” - - -XII - - Heard them drill at combinations, - Learn to multiply and add, - Now subtracting, now dividing,-- - Doing as the master bade; - Saw them on the map locating - Chiefest places of the earth; - Heard them give events in History, - ’Fore and since our Saviour’s birth. - - -XIII - - Heard them, too, at Nature lessons, - Saw the card within their hands, - With the Flora and the Fauna - Of our own and other lands; - Heard the master talk on Civics, - And our duties to the State, - And on Etiquette and Hygiene, - Heard him, too, at length dilate. - - -XIV - - Not an incident was missing - Of those school days long since fled, - Though so many of its members - Now were numbered with the dead. - And too swiftly passed the vision - Retrospective of the past, - And upon my soul its setting - Fleeting specks of sadness cast. - - - - -DECEMBER SIXTH, 1917. - - -I - - It was a clear and cool December dawn, - And bright the Sun in all his glory rose - And shed his radiant rays in plenty on - The lovely arm which by our city flows, - And on the hills and dales and distant trees - By Nature robed in early winter mien: - All Labour was awake; the docks and quays - Were all astir and formed a busy scene; - The flag flung to the breeze o’er Citadel - Gave heart to all: last night the sentry cried, - As o’er his beat he trod, that all was well, - And old and young thought but of Christmas-tide. - “Lord God of Hosts,” what is that awful roar - Upon all ears rolls from the Richmond shore; - - -II - - I’ll ever hear that death-portending sound - And see the dead as side by side they lie, - And see the desolation wrought around - And hear the dying’s dissolution cry; - And see the houses bursting into flame - And those within consumed in tongues of fire, - And that long line of young, and old, and lame - Move slowly on when ordered to retire - From their wrecked homes to seek some safe retreat. - With falt’ring step and slow and wearied gait; - And see the motor cars whirl down the street - Full laden with their bloody, human freight: - For not, till in my breast the spirit dies - Will these sad scenes evanish from my eyes. - - -III - - And ever see the op’ning hour of school, - And hear the bell sound on the morning air, - And see each little one with reticule - And well-trained poise and step assembling there, - And each pale-faced teacher in her place - And all the children there on bended knees, - With innocence imprinted on each face, - And hear their prayer borne on the morning breeze, - And hear the glass and falling timbers crash, - And see the children through the windows leap - With blood fast flowing from each gaping gash - Upon their heads and faces, long and deep; - And fain am I to fall into despair - That scenes so sad should follow children’s prayer. - - -IV - - And ever see the blinded lying low - At Bellevue, Camp Hill, and College Hall; - And ever see the corpses, row on row, - Their mangled faces covered with a pall: - And curses such as tongue could never speak - Rise in my heart and flutter through my mind - Upon the man who did such ruin wreak - And leave such grief and misery behind; - And then a change comes o’er my angry thought - And I can see outlined upon the Cross - The Man of Sorrows, and I think of what - He did that Death be not our loss; - And bowing down I cry on bended knee - My Lord, my God, I yet have faith in Thee. - - - - -LIFE IS BUT ONE DARN THING AFTER ANOTHER. - - -I - - Whether in childhood or when you grow older, - Whether in summer or when it grows colder, - Whether in sunshine or lightning and thunder, - Be it on land or sea over or under, - Whether winter frosts freeze you or summer heat smother, - This you will find until life’s cord will sunder, - Life is but one darn thing after another. - - -II - - Whether you cry from grief or smile with laughter, - Think of the present or past or hereafter, - Whether you’re rooming or whether house-keeping, - Sewing or darning or dusting or sweeping, - Dreaming of yours or some other girl’s brother, - This you will find whether waking or sleeping, - Life is but one darn thing after another. - - -III - - If you have peace of mind or if you worry, - If things move slowly or if in a hurry, - If you make hasty steps or if you tarry, - If you stay single or if you marry, - Whether you barren be, whether a mother, - This you will find whate’er hap or miscarry, - Life is but one darn thing after another. - - - - -COURCELLETTE. - - - Early on an autumn morning, - Facing famous Courcellette, - Lay the Twenty-fifth battalion, - In the trenches damp and wet; - Far away from home and kindred, - Near the far-famed river Somme, - Here and there a man lay dying, - Stricken by a shell or bomb. - - Men of every trade and calling, - Of each company formed a part, - Downy youth and bearded manhood - From the farm and from the mart, - Miners, farmers, sailors, tradesmen, - From each hamlet, town and glen, - Born of Nova Scotian mothers - From the breed of manly men. - - All alert and ever watching, - On the guard both day and night, - Each one ever his part doing, - In the struggle for the right; - Thinking always of the homeland - Far away in Acadie, - Of a mother, wife, or sister - Whom they never more might see. - - On the high hills overlooking, - All the country down below, - In their deep concreted dugouts, - Lay the ever watchful foe; - With artillery commanding - All the hills for miles around, - Through which, like a thread of silver, - River Somme its free way wound. - - There were Saxons and Bavarians - In the Hun’s embattled host, - And the fierce and bloody Uhlans - Whom the Kaiser loves to toast; - Where they stood in close formation - Like a solid human block - Fronted by the famous fighters - Called the troops of battle shock. - - When upon the morn in question, - Just about the break of day, - Word the Twenty-fifth was given - To make ready for the fray; - And they sprang up from their trenches - Like the wild lynx with a bound, - And they rushed without a falter - Right across the barrage ground; - - And they fell upon the Germans - Like an avalanche of hail, - And the Teutons bent before them - Like the grain before the gale. - And with irresisting fury - They assailed the faltering Hun, - And before the day was over - Famous Courcellette was won. - - Then let mothers tell their babies - Whom they nurse upon their breasts, - And the teachers tell the children - In our schools from east to west, - How at Courcellette’s fierce battle, - An undying name was made - By the Twenty-fifth battalion - Of the fighting fifth brigade. - - - - -VIMY RIDGE. - - - For days the cannon roaring - With loud incessant peal, - The terrane and the trenches - Had torn with lead and steel; - Which told the boys in khaki - Of fighting near at hand, - And eagerly all waited - The long wished for command. - - Within the first line trenches, - The highland laddies lay, - Their thoughts were of their mothers - Or sweethearts far away; - Each one of them was thinking - Of home and native sod, - And like a Christian soldier - Had made his peace with God. - - The morn broke dark and stormy - With hail and snow and sleet, - Which made for many soldiers - Ere night, their winding sheet; - The shrapnel bits were flying, - Like swarms of summer midge, - When Borden’s highland laddies - Charged up the Vimy Ridge. - - On the top of this famed mountain, - Nearby the city Lens, - The enemy in dugouts - Lay like lions in their dens; - The mountain strong by nature, - The Germans stronger made - With cannon and with mortar, - On concrete bases laid. - - And thousands of machine guns, - In their allotted place, - And thousands of their snipers, - With rifle and with brace; - And lines of barbed wire fencing - Of every strength and size, - And aught else which their science - Or cunning could devise. - - Their seeming sense of safety, - The Teutons did elate, - And all were glibly chanting - The Kaiser’s hymn of hate, - When, lo! the pibroch’s skirling - Their first line did astound - And Donald, Rod and Angus - Came on them with a bound. - - And ere they had recovered - From their astonishment - The foremost of their gleemen - To sing elsewhere were sent; - And midst the cry of Kam’rade - In broken English spoke, - Both Prussian and Bavarian - Went down from bayonet stroke. - - And furious was the struggle, - ’Twixt Highlander and Hun, - For hand to hand the fighting - On Vimy Ridge was done. - The shock troops of the Kaiser, - And all his proud array, - Fled fast before the Bluenose - On that eventful day. - - And when the war is over, - And peace again is come, - We’ll give our gallant laddies - A highland welcome home; - With flags and banners waving, - With singing and with cheer, - We’ll celebrate the glory - Of Vimy day each year. - -[Illustration] - - - - -GOD SAVE OUR EMPIRE GREAT. - - - God save our empire great, - And to her board of state, - Wise Counsel bring; - May we in union free, - Mother and daughters be, - Ever one family: - God save the king. - Grant that there will arise, - Beneath Canadian skies, - Freedom’s offspring; - May we be always free, - From hate and bigotry, - Co-heirs of liberty: - God save the king. - - - - -THE VETERAN - - - A veteran too was there with shoulders broad - As is the marsh in Amherst’s neighborhood; - Of stature high and of a kingly stride, - And in his face there shone a noble pride. - His eyes bespoke a soul to never yield - In fair fought fight at home or battle field. - A civic man before the war began - And since its end again a civic man. - Beloved by all his comrades, young and old, - For wise decisions and for action bold; - His head was cool but kindly was his heart, - In every act of war he did his part-- - In digging in to use the lowly spade, - In battle field to wield the bloody blade, - In trench, in rest, to eat the soldiers’ fare, - A man of manly breed, his wounds to bear. - Three years he served where colored poppies grow - Between the wooden “crosses, row on row,” - Observing all, so well could tell a tale - of Bourlon Wood or bloody Pachendaele. - - -Typographical errors corrected by the etext transcriber: - -An Elegy Writtne in Richmond=> An Elegy Written in Richmond - -Burnihing in colors=> Burnishing in colors - -now ’Im old=> now I’m old - -The Tuetons did elate=> The Teutons did elate - -Of lovliness divine=> Of loveliness divine - -perfect ecastasy=> perfect ecstasy - -A sweet momoriam for aye=> A sweet memoriam for aye - - - - - - - - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Poems, by D. M. Matheson - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK POEMS *** - -***** This file should be named 51554-0.txt or 51554-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/1/5/5/51554/ - -Produced by Larry B. Harrison, Chuck Greif and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, -set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to -copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to -protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project -Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you -charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you -do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the -rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose -such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and -research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do -practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is -subject to the trademark license, especially commercial -redistribution. - - - -*** START: FULL LICENSE *** - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project -Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at -http://gutenberg.org/license). - - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy -all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. -If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the -terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or -entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement -and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" -or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the -collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an -individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are -located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from -copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative -works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg -are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project -Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by -freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of -this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with -the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by -keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project -Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in -a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check -the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement -before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or -creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project -Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning -the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United -States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate -access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently -whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, -copied or distributed: - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived -from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is -posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied -and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees -or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work -with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the -work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 -through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the -Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or -1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional -terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked -to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the -permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any -word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or -distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than -"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version -posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), -you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a -copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon -request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other -form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided -that - -- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is - owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he - has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the - Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments - must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you - prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax - returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and - sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the - address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to - the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." - -- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or - destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium - and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of - Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any - money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days - of receipt of the work. - -- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set -forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from -both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael -Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the -Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm -collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain -"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or -corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual -property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a -computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by -your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with -your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with -the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a -refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity -providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to -receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy -is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further -opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER -WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO -WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. -If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the -law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be -interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by -the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any -provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance -with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, -promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, -harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, -that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do -or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm -work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any -Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. - - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers -including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists -because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from -people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need, are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. -To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation -and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 -and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org. - - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive -Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at -http://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent -permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. -Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered -throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at -809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email -business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact -information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official -page at http://pglaf.org - -For additional contact information: - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To -SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any -particular state visit http://pglaf.org - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. -To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate - - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm -concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared -with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project -Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. - - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. -unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily -keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. - - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: - - http://www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. |