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FATH ER T I ERN EY’S
PO EM S
The Pub lished and Hi therto Unpub l ished Poems
Of
THE REV. H ENRY B. TIERNEY
NEW YORK
THE NEALE PUBLISHING COMPANY
1 9 1 5
COPYRI GHT, 1 9 1 5 , BY
THE NEALE PUBLI SHING COMPANY
JUL28 i915
Q3GA4 0 6 8 7 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
P AGE
AMOR PATRI JETh e American F lagTh e O l d and th e New
To Wash ingtonColumb ia Weeps o
’
er the TerrorsO Erin
,Green E rin
Th e Sp irit of War
LAY S OF L I FEMother 0 ’ MineDreams of YouthL i feLament of O l d AgeTo i l and S erv iceA Priest’ s MotherA Song of HomeTh e Lament of AgeCommencementAn Ep itaph
LI FE LYRI CSTh e F irs t Love LyricTh e Ruth of th e GaelAwayMargueriteCup i d and th e Fay
6 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Come Forth , My Fa irHer L i ly-wh ite HandThere I s Sorrow and Pa in Heart
,
Th e Sou l—imageKi s s Me Ere I D ieThe Poet to H i s LoveHer Viol inTo an AngelA Marguerite w ith V iolet sCup id V ictorKentucky Da iry Ma i dA Vi s ion of LoveConj ugal L oveI Love Thee, SweetheartLove’ s Dream of E tern i ty
PSALM S or THE SOULDe Pro fundi sL iberty’ s B irthTh e Bread of L i feCh i ldren ’ s Hymn to MaryFa ith , Hope, and CharityTh e Heart of God
Ha i l,Daughter of Thy Son Divme !
Th e Worl d I s Only a TombOn ly God and Truth Are Real
SONGS OF NATUREOssian
’
s F lower ShadowTh e King of SnowNatureApri l
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Nature’ s Requ iem for th e DeadOssian
’
s Apostrophe to the Sun
Ch i l d’ s Ode to the Iri sh Blackb irdTo a V ioletTo LunaTh e Wood land ’ s WelcomeThoughts on NightA September ReverieThe Song of th e B ird sThe Greek Shepherd ’s LayA Song of Winter
VAGRANT VERSESA Mil l ion Songs Are R ing ing Heart“S-hoh—heen Shoh !Mrs . Nat ion ’ s Reputat ionBes s ie and Jes s ieI s Ju s t ice Dead !Thank sg iv ing D innerTh e Tramp of O l d S t JoeV ictoriaTh e Polar S tarMi s souri to Kentucky
AMOR P ATRL ’E
THE AMERICAN FLAG
Unfur l the flag o f freedom ! Lo —beho ldThe ensign of a people young and bold !
Repeat our banner ’s story ;Salute the flag o f glory
That reveals the stars of freedom in each fo ld !
REFRAIN
The S tars and S tripes shal l never kis s the dust,
The sword of Justice never s leep in rust ,Oh
, our hearts are loya l , true
To our o ld red , white , and blue !
Love for God and home and country i s our trust .
Every true h eart of the nation deep must
The thri l l ing,patriotic vim and zeal
That has shaped our glorious fate,
Making each new grate ful state
In O ld Glo ry ’s azure field a living sea l !
God has made our land a nation rich and great ;He inspired our fathers with a nation ’s fate ;Thei r princip les were few .
Immorta l,s imp le
,true
,
Eternal,
—are His laws for man and statef
12 FATHER TIERNEY POEMS
Amer icans we are,and brave a t heart
,
And every man of us wil l do his part .
Let our Declaration stand .
Sou l aflame and flag in hand
We will serve in peace and war with wil ling heart .
. THE OLD AND THE NEW 13
THE OLD AND THE NEW
The song of the Gael
To an anc ient I ri sh a ir
S ing the old,old song
,
—the glorious song,
The lay of the ancient Gael ,Whose deeds are themes for ange ls ’ dreams .Oh , hai l to the ancient Gael !
The sad complaints o f the I s le of Saints
O ft made the nations weep .
Hark ! The voice of song,now loud and long
,
Awakens the dead from sleep .
’
T i s a sad,sad song
,but a glorious song ;
’
Tis a hymn of faith and trust ;’Tis a l iving song
,and it won ’t be long
Til l the Gael shal l rise from the dust !
Green Is le o f the West,tho ’ long oppressed
,
Behold the dawn at last !
The night is o’
er ; ru le thou once more !
Come forth in the strength o f the Past !
14 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
Forget thy wail . Rej oice , O Gael ,As a giant to run his course !
The Lord on high,who is ever nigh
,
Hath clothed thee with new force .
The old,old song ,—the gloriou s song,
The cry o f the ancient Gael !’Tis the promised land
,where we take our stand ,
The wor ld salutes thee ! Hail !
Fair Kathleen,o f Er in queen
,
O Virgin meek but strong,
Hear each holy tri l l with rapture thri l l
Hark ! Hear the ancient song !
’
T is the song of the Gael , the patient Gae l ,Come forth with the flag unfurled ;The echoes rol l from pole to po l e .
’Tis a song to move the world !
Our flag so fair,ra ise it in ai r ;
Burst forth with the old re frain !The Cross of old and the Harp of Gold
Shal l fire thy soul again .
THE OLD AND THE NEW 15
The martyred dead thei r b lood have shed,
In g lory gone be fore ;Thy sacred halls
,cathedral wal ls
,
Sha l l ris e from the green once more !
The Priest , the Peer , the Sage , the S eer ,Crusader Bard
,and Sage
,
Beho ld ; they rise , —l ike stars in the skies ,To l ight a darksome age .
The pierc ing wai l of the mourn ing Gae l
Awakes the world at last ;A chain of years her blood and tears
Were shed for the glorious past .
The harp shall ring,the Gae ls sha l l s ing
To glori fy the Three
Who gave them power to bide the hourO f fina l victory .
Sing the old ,old song ,—the glorious song,
The lay of the ancient Gael ,Whose deeds are themes for ange ls ’ dreams .Oh
,ha i l to the ancient Gael !
16 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
TO WASHINGTON
AN ODE
On his na ta l day ,F ebruary 2 2
I j o in the hundred mill ion sou l s to—dayTo laud the Flag and hono r Wash ington .
Deep gratitude in spires you r people ’s hearts ;The mantle o f thei r blessings covers you ;Their praises sparkle in thei r tears o f j oy
,
Which long will keep you r memory fresh and green ;Each chi ld smiles o ’er the offering he bears .
God bless you,Washington
,forevermore !
Each human heart has some wish un fu lfi l led ;With rosy hope each loyal heart is thr i l led ;
Our earnest prayer,dear father
,now for you
Is that your fondest hopes come qu ickly true
May not too many winged years depart,
Until the longing o f your soul apart
Be blessed with that fulfi l lment, Justly meet
Which makes our country ’s burden doubly sweet .
May God , in whom we trust , stil l guide us onAs worthy sons o f b rave George Washington .
COLUMB IA WEEPS I 7
COLUMBIA WEEPS O ’ER THE TERRORSOF WAR
Co lumbia stands ’mid her fai r smil ing fields,
And weeps o ’
er the terrors o f war,
As she views the vast lands that have wasted
yie lds
In smoke and in dark clouds o f war .
Far,far away
,now she hears the dim roar
O f the wicked machinery of men ,Hark ! l ike a dream between each interva l
The low moan o f pain sounds again .
O God , speed the time when the deep gloom of warShall have passed l ike gr im clouds ’ fore the sun
,
When it no mo re shal l darken fai r Freedom ’s b right
day,
When the dawn o f true peace is begun .
O Columbia,summon your duti fu l sons
And wr ite this short prayer in thei r hearts
O God,grant us Freedom and Justice for guns
,
And do Thou reign K ing o f our hearts .
18 FATHER TIERNEY ’S POEMS
O ERIN, GREEN ERIN
A lyric of the ancient Gael
O Erin,Green Erin
,fair I s le of the S ea
,
Lov’
d home of contentment and rest ,Where the voice is as sweet as divine melody
And the dove is serene in her nest ;Where the flowers b loom early and thrive al l the year,And spread their sweet scent on the fen
O Erin,thy charms and thy j oys I revere
‘How I long to be with thee again !
O Erin , Green Erin , sweet Is le of the S ea ,’Tis there on thy sho res
,dear
,I ’m longing to be .
Home of rest,Is land b lest;
In my dreams Nature seemsTo love on ly thee
,O Erin
,machree
,
To love only thee,
God ’s home in the even ing,
Green Is le o f the S ea !
No fairer land thrives,a glad tribute to God ,
Than Erin , where nature , twice b lest,Sweet smiles as her wea lth she displays on the sodThe wor ld ’s Tirnanoge in the West ,
2 0 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
THE SPIRIT OF WAR
A prophecy
The burden and vis ion o f deso la t ion
Which I saw in the troubled Eas t !
On the dark mountain above the wa tersLi ft ye up a banner of blood and fire
,
A c loud o f smoke by day,a flaming fi re by
Exa lt the voice , li ft up the hand !
For Hell hath groaned in her travail ,And the fruit o f her womb is war .
Lo ! She hath cast a firebrand among the na t ions ,And con fus ion exa lteth her cry !
Your strength shal l be as ashes o f tow,
And you r works as a glowing spark .
Both shall burn together .
And who sha ll quench its floods
But Death and Sorrow and Woe P
The strong ones have met in thei r w rath
And plowed the face o f the deep ;The nations have gathered together
,
L ike vultures awaiting thei r prey .
From the vineyard the green hedge is fal len,
THE SPIRIT OF WAR 2 1
And the wal l round about broken down .
Beware of the voice o f the S tranger ;Forget not the prophecyiold ;Remember in Friendship is danger
,
K is s thy fr iend,
—but remember thy go ld .
The nations awake to do batt le ,The monsters o f war are afloat ;And the giant goes forth in his glory
,
And the pigmy is gi rded with strength !
Now the name o f the dwar f is Goliath
And David shal l vanquish the foe .
The Or ient marshals her army,
But the fal l o f her pride shal l be greatAsLuci fer fel l from the heavens
And groans in the furnace o f He l l .Sha l l the Pagan master the Christian !
Shal l Rome awake from the dust !
Shal l the idol rule in the Temple !
Shal l Truth give her mantle to Be l !
Nay ; Satan is doomed to destruction
Before the S ign of the Cross .
The beast is devoured by her offspring,
And S in is consumed by her lust .
Behold the sad desolation
Which stalks through the ruins of war .
2 2 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
And more than one Nation is wounded,
And many a sou l is in Hel l .
Go, speak to the wise witch o f Endor ,Go forth to the mountain with Saul
And ca l l on the spirit o f Samuel ,Ye nations who glory in war !
Al l the world hath hated the giant ;But the heart of the world shal l change
For Justice hath branded the struggle,
And peace shal l ar ise from the tomb !
Beho ld ! When the struggle is over,
When the cross hath conquered the foe ,The world wi l l be saved from the monster
That swa l lowed luxurious Rome .
And e’
er the red confl ict be ended
The fairest o f mankind shal l fa l l
And the nations shal l b leed and be ravished ;For such are the horrors of war .A league with grim Death they have entered
,
They have made a black compact with Hel l ;And what is the fru it of the war—lust !Death , deso lation and woe !But harken , O Nations of Europe ,To a message from over the sea !
The heart o f Liberty greets you,
Accept the hand of the free !
THE SPIRIT OF WAR 2 3
For L iberty i s more than Peace ,It i s the thought o f God .
Beho ld the l ight of the Future
That arises above the past !
The night of Death is over ;And peace has come at last .
The dream o f Our Land is dawningAbove the clashing din
,
The harbinger of G lory,The death o f Greed and S in .
They sha l l turn thei r swords to p lowshares ,Their sh ips into cra fts of peace ,Their spears shal l be changed. to s ick les ,And the Spirit of War shal l cease .
2 8 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
Bird ’s sweetest melody
Chimes wi th the knell O’ the
Years while I tel l O’ thee,
Mother 0 ’ mine .
God save thee , —sou l o f me ,Mother 0 ’ mine
,
Blood Of the who le Of me ,Mother 0 ’ mine .
God’s mirrored trin ity
,
Fai th,Hope
,and Char ity
,
Pulse Of the heart Of thee,
Mother 0 ’ mine .
Love for thee blesses me
Mother 0’ mine .
The smile and the tear Of thee
Mother 0 ’ mine,
B r ing me so near to thee,
Binding thee,dear
,to me
Closer each year,machree
Mother 0 ’ mine .
Hail,Mary
’
s pu rity !Mother 0 ’ mine .Throne Of the Deity
,
Mother 0 ’ mine ;
MOTHER MINE
Through whose maternity
Chr ist for eternity
Reigns in the heart of thee,
Mother 0 ’ mine .
2 9
3 0 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
DREAMS OF YOUTH
Oh,carry me to the forest shade
Dear Mem’
ry bright and fair ,Whose shady bowers I ’d oft invade
To dream with Natu re there !
Sweet favorite haunts,which summer days
Wou ld tinge with go lden light ;Where wild birds tri l led their me l low lays
,
And rested in thei r fl ight .
A b lack- eyed,cur ly-headed boy
,
Wou ld seek the fragrant nook ,TO feast his soul with nectared joyAnd dream bes ide the b rook .
O giant oak,my grand Old fr iend
,
How oft you sheltered me !
Thy branches green would O ’er me bend,
A rega l canopy .
I ’d lay me near the vio let bed
And watch the pure red rose,
Which,blush ing deeply
,raised its head
,
The fairest flower that blows .
DREAMS OF YOUTH 3 1
The verdant carpet at my feet
Revea led the dais ies there ;The l i ly o f the va l ley sweetS eemed always fresh and fa ir .
The w i ld canary’
d s ing a l l day,
The squ irre l gay with glee
Within the woodland shade would play,
Then swmg from tree to tree .
I’d lay me down in peace to s leep .
Soon Nature bade me dream ;And Angels from the trees wou ld peep
At fairies in the stream .
The happy birds wou ld round me
The rob in and the j ay ;The butterfly on rainbow wing
Wou ld gl ide her flowery way .
The wood land was a paradise,
Fai r Nature ’s se l f was queen ,Naught e lse was heard save echo ’s
And Nature ’s lay serene .
O days o f youth ! Fo rever b lestThose go lden hours do seem
,
SO fu l l o f joy, content and rest ,A bliss fu l fairy dream .
3 2 FATHER TIERNEY POEMS
Those happy days I ’ l l ne ’er forget
They soothe my aching heart .
Had I but one Old violet,
Youth ’s D ream wou ld ne ’e r depart .
L IFE 3 3
LIFE
To what O Love , can I compareThis passing l i fe of ours !
’Tis l ike a boat,fu l l seeming fai r ,
Which floats a few short hours
At daybreak so ft it gl ides away ,S educed by gallant wind ,
To disappear at close O f day,
And leave no trace behind .
3 4 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
LAMENT OF OLD AGE
From the Greek
Al l the fai r charms O f 'youth have been swi ft borne
away,And now I am feeb le and Old
The dark c louds o f sorrow increase every day ;And the wor ld seems so gloomy and co ld .
I have wandered with pain thro ’ this deep va le
tears ;And sorrow has been my abode !
W ith woe overladen have been a l l my years,
As I trave led li fe’s steep
,thorny road .
Dread Age w ith h is w ithering finger doth trace
H is prophec ies d ire Of the tomb
On the dry parchment skin.of my wan
,pa l l id face ;
And Time doth my mind s low consume .
For who hath respect for the locks o f old age !
Who thinks of the evening Of l i fe !
The who le world ’s a battle in which al l engage ,And forget aught but go ld in the stri fe !
8 6 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
TO IL AND SERVICE
A Fab le of the Turk
Two brothers l ived in homes afar,—one rich
,the other
poor .
The rich man served the Sultan,from poverty secu re .
The poor man eked his dai ly bread by labor and by
toil,
And he was honest in his heart and braved the world ’s
turmoil .
The rich man once his b rother asked ! Why not seek
the emp loy
O f h im,—h is Maj esty , the King , —who is the peop le ’s
j oy !
Then,brother
,
—see —you would be free from labor’s
vi le disgrace .
!
Then said the other,touched to hear such insult to his
face ,And why don ’t you
,a panderer
,rej ect smooth ways
of oil,
And seek true peace and solace in the honesty o f toi l !
Dependency on smiles o f state,—is thi s not true d is
grace !
With joy , I eat the bread o f toi l , —and scorn yourcourtly p lace .
!
A PRIEST ’S MOTHER
A PRIEs
‘
T’
s MOTHER
H er P rayer
He r l ips once d ropped a pfayer for me ,Like roses from an angel ’s breast ;It blossomed in my grate fu l heart .How oft I have that flower caressed !
Its beauty bids me wait in peace,
E ’en though I hear her angel sigh ;Its fragrance whispers O f her love
,
Like incense,wafts my soul on high .
Through l ips O f hers I am redeemed,
Recal led from binding s in ’s disgrace .
That prayer she lisped for me,a chi ld
,
God made the channel Of His grace .
Lord , grant that when Li fe’s day is o ’er
,
And so rrow blossoms into bli ss
I’ l l meet her at Thy heavenly door
And greet her w ith an angel kiss .
3 7
3 8 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
A SONG OF HOME
Sweet shrine O f al l that I ho ld dear,
Lov’
d sanctum where contentment dwel ls ,I love the solemn
,sacred l ight
That fo lds thee in a thousand charms .
And tho’ I dwel l a far from thee ,And soj ourn in the Old South land ,Where flowers O f wealth and beauty thrive
,
E ’en tho ’ each day I bless my God
In stranger land,and humbly pray
,
Sweet Home,I ne ’er forget thy charms
Love clasps thee closer day by day .
THE LAMENT OF AGE 3 9
THE LAMENT OF AGE
A song of the ancient Gael
Sad and long is the tremb l ing song
I chant at my sire ’s shrine .
Bent low with grie f is th is aged chie f,
The last of his noble l ine .
I’m weeping sti l l on the s i lent hi l l ;Wi th red and tear fu l eyes
,
I mourn for the dead,—those lov ’
d ones fled
To dwel l beyond the skies .
True love impe ls the sigh that swe l l s
L ike a wave on a lonely shore ;I murmur faint each sad comp la int
For those I beho ld no more .
My sad sou l wai ls l ike the surging gales
That sweep o’
er the lone ly wood ;And ghast ly forms in the raging stormsWi ld moan where my fathers stood .
FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
My sad complaints are for the saints ,My sires
,—who have passed away ;
My voice I raise in sorrow ’s praise
TO sing a mourn ful lay
Thou art sti l l gay,O Youth ; to-day
Art fai r,and strong
,and bo ld ;
But the church-bell shal l to l l thy kne l l
Some day when thou art O ld .
Thou,too
,O son
,must fal l anon ;
On thy tomb thy son shall weep ;Thy haunts sha l l be no more to thee
But the place Of thy last,long sleep .
L i fe’
s waning day,farewell for aye !
‘
I’
m walking the B r idge of S ighs .E
’en now I see them calling me,
O Death , anoint those eyes !
O ld age but guides the last s low stridesO f a j ourney quick ly run ;The way that l i es ’twixt earth and skies
,
But done when wel l begun .
Thou art sti l l gay,O Youth
, to-day
,
And brave,and strong
,and bo ld
,
But the O ld church-bel l shal l to ll thy kne l l
Some day when thou art Old .
COMMENCEMENT 4 1
COMMENCEMENT
Each human heart has some wish un fulfi l led ,With rosy hope each youth ful soul is thri l led ;My earnest prayer
,dear graduate
,for you
Is that your dearest hopes come fondly true ;May not your use fulness in l i fe depart
Unti l the noble longings o f your heart
Be b lessed with that abundance,
—j ustly meetWhich makes L i fe ’s heavy burden doubly sweet .
42 FATHER T IERNEY’S POEMS
AN EPITAPH
O Melody,te l l o ’ the knel l O’ the
Dying,s ighing
,melancho ly years !
Marguerite,
Mother sweet,
At your feet
Weeping,
LO ! I knee l
TO revea l
Love never sleep ing .
Our prayers are as sweet and as fleetAs the carrie r dove ;
Even distance no barrier weaves’Mid the murmurous spaces O f a l l her wind- stirred
leaves .
TO dissever our love,
Which measures
And treasures
The pleasures
O f autumnal tears,
The sad ,G lad
Processiona l chant O f the broad—shielded
THE FIRST LOVE LYRIC 45
THE FIRST LOVE LYRIC
Adam to Eve in P arad ise
Fai r Eve,thou art the sou l O f me
,
The mirro red shadow of my heart ;My thoughts are symphonies O f thee ;My share O f this bright wor ld thou art
God wi l led that I shou ld better be
And,—that I might not lonely gr i eve
,
Breathed forth His spirit unto thee,
And called this per fect being Eve .
I love thee,Eve
,and thro ’ thine eyes
,
Which glisten like our virgin wine,
I taste God’s earth ly Paradise
,
And thank Him for His love,and thine .
46 FATHER TIERNEY S POEMS
THE RUTH OF THE GAEL
Beauti ful Mary o f Old Galway ,Ruth o f the fie lds Of love ,Gather the sheaves o f my songs to—day ,Child o f the fie lds you love !
Beauti ful Mary Of Old Galway ,Why does the wor ld repine !
Bind my soul with love to-day,
Ruth of the Fie ld and Vine .
Beauti fu l Mary o f Old Ga lway ,Queen O f the Vale Of Go ld ,Bind me the sheaves O f love to-day
,
Like Ruth of the days of O ld .
Beauti ful Mary O f Old Galway,
When wil l the gra in be ri fe !
When d reams O f thee sha l l cease,you say
Then b ind it with my l i fe !
AWAY 47
AWAY
A song of old Japan
I heard the Cuckoo ’s voice th is morn
Away, away, away !
The mus ic echoed through the corn,
Far,far away .
The sound was tender,sad
,and clear ;
Tho ’ far away,i t seemed so near .
The mus ic fi l led my sou l with fear .
O saddest day O f a l l the year,
Of a l l the year !
The day is dark,the Sun doth flee
Far,far away .
My thoughts are dreams Of phantasy ,Far
,far away .
My love is dead ; she died to—day .
Away, away, away!
The angels bore her sou l away,
Far,far away .
I ’ l l hear her voice d ivine no more ,My days in parad is e are o’
er.
4 8 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
O cuckoo,l et thy sou l outpour
And mou rn with me forevermore
Forever more !
My love is waiting now for me,
Far far away .
O sorrow,then farewell to thee !
Far,far away .
MARGUERITE 49
MARGUERITE
A song of the sea-d ivid ed Gael
Marguerite,
Fai r and Sweet,
At thy feet,weeping ,
LO ! I kneel ,To revea l
Love never s leeping .
Love for thee
Said to me
Ever be roya l .
She preferred
Wealth,but erred .
DO thou be loyal .
S tay for her ;Pray for her ;
Cease not thy yearning .
Time with snares ,Now prepares
Paths for returning .
Marguerite means “a pearl . Ireland is here th e poet ’ sloved pearl Of the sea .
!
5 0 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
Fu l l of woe,
Long ago,
Darl ing,you le ft me .
I ’ve been true,
Love,to you,
Though it bere ft me .
Day and night
Vis ions bright,
G lory supernal,
To ld Of the
Ecstasy
Love is eterna l .
Ne ’er to part
Now , sweetheart ,We are united ;In your eyes
Paradise ,More than requ ited .
Purity
Mant les thee ;Virtue
,thy glory ;
W ith incense,
Innocence
Walks on be fore thee .
5 2 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
CUPID AND THE FAY
F rom the Greek
A fai r virgin Fay thro ’ a wild woodland stro l led,
TO weave a fresh chaplet O f flow ers
TO twine in her tresses,
—far brighter than go ld .
Long she sat in the fresh greenwood bowers .
She plucked from its stem a t her feet a red rose,
The queen Of the cool flowery grove,
And there in the flower,
’mid smiling repose,
Lay a sweet l itt le Cupid Of Love !
Quick she bound the fair innocent fast in her chains,
And the captive was ’whelmed with wild flowers ;But the thorns pr icked her del icate hands for her
pains,
The litt le Love struggled for hours .
Then the maid kissed the l ips O f the fai r baby Boy,
And he gazed in her eyes fu l l of b l is s,
Entranced with her beauty,his soul
,thr i l led with joy ,
Was aflame with the fi re O f that kis s .
CUPID AND THE FAY 5 3
Deep he quaflfed the sweet wine Of her beauty divine ,Now aglow with the so ft rosy hues
Which flowed round her form like the per fume o f
w ine,
As fresh as the pure Apri l dews .
His l ittle heart beat l ike the thunder ing gale
As he touched her br ight tresses Of go ld,
And blushed when her soul thro ’ those l ips he ’d
ha le,
He implored her his bonds to unfold !
She bent o’
er her Captive , the amorous Boy ;And he sighed as she kissed him once more .
He gazed on her beauty with thousandfo ld j oy .
“You are free , said the maid ,
“ evermore .
!
But the victim,enraptured
,
’mid violets l ies ;With passion his l ittle form glows .
You have slain me , fai r maid , with the light
eyes .Oh
,why did you p luck my red rose !
When Venus had missed her sly vagrant , she said“Where art Thou
,my Cupid , -fai r Boy !
!
5 4 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
Then she found him asleep in the arms Of the maid .
He was dreaming o f Beauty and Joy .
At last,truant in fant ! I ’ve found you at last .
Awake, you fai r rascal ,—awake !
With this vi rgin,no doubt
,the day you have passed ;
Come with me now,—her kisses forsake .
!
O mother,this maiden has wounded the heart
O f you r Cupid,—the slayer Of men ;
She has bound me with flowers,
—I can not depart ;Oh
,I ’ l l never be happy again !
She entrapped me as leep in the heart Of the Rose,
And enkindled my sou l with a kiss ;I struggled in vain to escape from her throes ;From her eyes I drank oceans Of bliss .
NO ransom can tear me away from her l ips .
Let not Jove himse l f me de fy !
Your Cupid is conquered at last,and he s ips
Love ’s wine ti l l with bliss he shall die .
Not even the prayer of my mother d ivine
Fai r Venus , the goddess O f Love ,Sha l l rob me
,O maid
, Of that beauty of th ine .
Thro ’ the woodland forever we ’ l l rove .
CUPID AND THE FAY 5 5
What news do I hear from my Cupid,my sweet !
Wise indeed, Son of Venus , thou art !
Whi lst you s lept in the wild Rose that Virgin discreet
With thine own arrow pierced thine own heart ! !
Then the coy Virgin smi led as she kissed the fa ir brow
O f the victim she wounded that day;Then she gave him h is qu iver
,and quietly sped ,
Thro ’ the wood land,with laughter
,away .
5 6 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
COME FORTH,MY FAIR
An old English song
The dawn is here,the dawn is here !
Another day is born ;Awake
,awake ! Thy dreams forsake !
Arise,—’t i s lovely morn !
In thri l ling lays the birds loud pra ise
The golden summer day ;Now high , now higher , the feathered choir
Doth voice the j oyfu l lay .
The wood land hil l that,green and sti l l
,
Had dreamed in so l itude,
With pleasure wakes,with rapture quakes
Fai r morning loves the wood .
Green nature thri l ls,creation fi l ls
The heart w ith secret pleasure ;Each mystic note on high doth float
,
In pure,terrestrial measure .
COME FORTH MY FAIR 57
Awake,my love ! TO God above
Pour forth thy sou l in prayer,
hymn O f praise for summer days .
Awake ! Come forth , my fair !
5 8 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
HER LILY WHITE HAND
Frorn the Japanese
Were on ly
Thy Hand ,Thy l i ly
White hand ,Forever
Lying in mine,O lov ’
d one
SO fair ,What shou ld
I care
I f al l the
Wor ld ’s confine
Were turned
Into flame ,To torture
TO blame ,TO mock
My l iving b liss !
I ’d look in thy eyes,
60 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
THERE IS SORROW AND PAIN IN MY HEART ,
ROSALEEN
A song of the Gael
There is sorrow and pain in my heart,Rosa leen
,
Fo r to - day I must bid you farewel l ;But I promise thee now as we part
,Rosaleen
,
My thoughts shall with Rosaleen dwe l l .
You cal led me your own sweetheart true , Rosaleen ,When I told you last night I must go .
I ’ l l be loving and faith ful to you,Rosaleen ;
We are sweethearts forever,you know .
Will you oft think o f me when I ’m gone , Rosaleen ,When I sai l o ’er the wide
,deep blue sea !
Will the days and the evenings seem long,Rosaleen !
Wil l you write a kind letter to me !
Oh,pardon my words ! DO not weep , Rosaleen
!
I ’d not have thee cry for the world .
Behold ! There ’s my ship on the deep , Rosaleen .
S ee —the dear I rish flag is unfurled .
SORROW AND PAIN IN MY HEART 61
And now,for the last time ,—farewel l Rosaleen .
Oh,pray for your own sweetheart true !
Tho ’ far from these shores I may dwel l,Rosa leen
,
I wil l ever be faith ful to you .
62 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
THE SOUL IMAGE
E’en distance lends no barrier
TO se’
ver thoughts of love .
My love sends not her written word,
But paints my eager mind in dreams,
And carves deep in my conscious Sou l
The images that fond hearts love .
I pause each eve in Dreamland ’s del l
And l i sten to my inmost Sou l,
Where Morning ’s voice breathes forth in broken
And mingles with the wood land echoes there .
Then,—heeding not the si lence go lden
Undisturbed e ’en by the S erpent
Gl iding through the dewy flowers ,I gaze entranced upon the vis ion fa i r
A living story graven on the friendly rock ,And throbbing in the very Sou l O f th ings !
E ’en distance lends no barrier-TO sever thoughts Of love .
K ISS ME ERE I DIE 63
KISS ME ERE I ' DIE
A lyric of the . Gael
K i ss me,Mary dar l ing
,ere I die
,
Oh , what joy to know that you areLet me fee l your kisses ,Harbingers O f bl isses
,
Foretaste O f beat itude on High .
Press me c loser to your throbb ing breast ;Ere I take my fina l earth ly rest
,
Grant me sanctuary !
Pure as V irgin Mary,
Virtue makes your beauty more than b lest .
You were ever faith fu l,loving
,true ;
Sunshine o f my l i fe,and ange l too
,
O f earth ’s wea lth my measure,
Not mo re fai r,Heaven ’s treasure !
Manly hearts ne ’er knew you but to woo .
Tho ’ I were abandoned by the wor ld,
Tho ’ a thousand curses at me hurled ,
64 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
You l ike balm ,would heal me
From all pain would seal me !
Paradise before my vis ion furled !
DO not weep,my Mary . Why those tears !
Death is not the evi l it appears .
Tho ’ I now must leave you,
Sorrow ne ’er must grieve you ;Faith and Hope and Love must conquer fears .
Farewe l l, sweetheart . Hark ,—the Ange l ’s knell !Hear the notes O f gladness
,—how they swel l !
Love for love is given .
We sha l l meet in Heaven .
Peace ! God b less you . K i ss me . Now—farewell !
THE POET TO HIS LOVE 65
THE POET TO HIS LOVE
My love for thee an ocean is
Which ebbs and flows for thee ;Each thought O f thee
,a monument
A faery mystery .
Thou art the Queen of Dreamland fair ,O f woodland nymphs and fays '
Thou art the spirit O f my dreams ,The sou l Of a l l my lays .
The music of love ’s thoughts o f thee
Doth lu l l my sou l to s leep,
To meet thee there on dreamland’
s shore ,Far
,far beyond the deep .
The image O f thy beauty pure,
An ange l in thy sou l,
As glorious as the sunset b r ight,
Doth each lament console .
The flames that struggle in my heart
TO rend my soul in twain,
Are fed by living thoughts O f thee ;Nor smi les nor tears are vain .
66 FATHER TIERNEY POEMS
Thou art my very l i fe,my soul !
Thy smiles inspire my brain .
S ince thy white sou l has fled away
L i fe is my only pain .
FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
TO AN ANGEL
Th e world,the world
,
I scorn the wor ld,
Fo r what’
s the world to me !
S ince thou hast flown,
I am-a lone
Thy soul ’s the l i fe O f me .
The wor ld ’s a d ream,
And such a dream !
A dream Of l iving pain .
Within the tomb
O f earthly gloomI weep for thee in vain .
But I shal l rise .
Beyond the skies
When empty dreams are o ’er
Eterna l b l is s
Sp ring from that kiss
From thee,—at Heaven ’s door .
A MARGUERITE WITH VIOLETS 69
A MARGUERITE WITH VIOLETS
When heart of mine was dead to me
And l i fe enchained by vain regrets ,Her message came “
S t i ll true to thee !
A marguerite with vio lets .
I b id thee wait , the message said .
My answer was a prayer , —farewell !I followed where Impatience led
My Paradise became a Hel l .
The saddest story ever penned
Within her farewel l letter ran
Immorta l she had held her friend,
But found him morta l,—merely man .
And now my heart i s dead to me ,And l i fe enchained by vain regrets .
I dream her words “S ti l l t rue to thee !
A marguerite with vio lets .
70 FATHER T IERNEY’S POEMS
CUPID VICTOR
Last night as I strol led in the garden ,By the l ight Of the glor ious moon
I plucked a red rose that was s leeping
And dreaming Of beau ti fu l June .
And,—lo
,and behold —in the chamber
O f the de l icate,velvety rose
Lay a laughter-wise , go lden-haired Cupid ,A-smi l ing in peace fu l repose .
In triumph I bore the fai r captive
To my study to drown him with wine ;I p lunged him then deep in the goblet
B rimming o’
er with the blood O f the vine .
Then quick ly I quaffed the ambros ia ,And love became part O f my sou l !
But a las ! it is I who am vanquished
I cannot my anguish contro l !
KENTUCKY DAIRY MAID 71
KENTUCKY DAIRY MAID
A song of the S outh
B lood O f my heart,b lushing maid of the dairy
,
B lack-eyed col leen o f the val ley and ha l l ‘
Beauti fu l,dut i fu l Ju l ia
,the fa iry
,
Belle O f Kentucky and pride of them a l l !
B lack as the wing of the raven those tresses
Fa l ling in ringlets o ’er shou lders o f snow ;Eyes ever tempting the sunbeam ’s caresses
,
Fa irest o f maids thou art , Ju l ia , I know .
Sou l of my sou l , l ithesome queen of the dairy,Ban ish those c louds from the l ight Of your eyes !
Sing the O ld song,O my Ju l ia
,—you fairy
Let mus ic te l l O’ thee,be l le whom I prize .
Scenes of my dreams o ften r ise from the dairy ,I stand fond ly gazing once more at the door,
And beho ld ; with glad heart , laugh ing Jul ia , the fairy ,S tea ls into my heart to depart nevermore .
72 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
A VIS ION OF LOVE
I n imitation of Tom M oore
I wandered serene in a vision of glory ;My soul was entranced in a dream of del ight ;
In so ft dulcet numbers my heart ’s secret story
Empurpled my lips with love ’s rich,rosy light .
I dreamed as I lay in my arbor in slumber
She came,l ike an Eve
,to my new Paradise
,
But,with tears on her cheeks and sighs without
number .
She gently did bid me from ecstasy rise .
Her fu l l rosy l ips,mute ly p leading for kisses
,
Were warm with the e ! qu i s ite wine o f del ight ;To gaze on her ravishing richeé of blisses
Would rob a poor lover of heart and of s ight .
Her beauti fu l face was the nest o f persuasion .
She murmured “ I love thee ! ! In blis s did I float .And then came a cruel
,
—a mocking invas ion
The voice of the swal low,—a dream-breaking note ;
A VISION OF LOVE 73
In my dreams I was loved . I awaken forsaken ,My li fe is a twi light of anguish and pain
,
Thou i l l—omened bi rd ! Oh , why hast thou shakenThe s lumber o f him who must chide thee in vain !
74 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
CONJUGAL LOVE
!Anglo-S a ! on !
When the tyrant,Old Time , with fierce envy trans
ported ,S ends Death
,
—icy pi lgrim,—to steal ’way our j oys ,
In your girls,Mary darling
,again you ’ l l be courted ;
And I ’ l l go a-woo ing once more in my boys .
76 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
LOVE ’
S DREAM OF ETERNITY
I knelt at her s ide as she breathed her last prayer,
And tremb led with sorrowfu l b l i s s ;For the angels were smiling o
’
erhead,everywhere
As she pressed my flushed hand with a kis s .
And it seemed as i f God and His angels and men
Had appeared in the glory Of l ight,
To b lend thei r sou ls ’ voices in choirs o f Amen !
And to charm my pierced heart with delight .
Thro ’ the b right golden au ra around her fai r head
When the mus ic celestial was sti ll,
I saw her pa le face,and I knew she was dead .
I remembered her wo rds ! ’Tis God ’s wil l ! !
I gazed at her beauti ful body at rest
And my sorrow gave birth to a smile ;For I knew that her sou l
,with Eternity b lest
,
Had abandoned its home for a whi le .
I remembered those words she had whispered to me
When I wept in my grie f at her s ide,
She breathed forth,O God ,
her pure love fo r Thee
I would that I,too
,then had died !
LOVE ’S DREAM OF ETERNITY 77
Through the br ight go lden aura around her fai r head ,When the music celestial was sti l l
I saw her pa le face and I knew she was dead ,I whispered her prayer ’Tis God
’s will . !
DE PROFUNDIS 8 1
DE PROFUNDIS
A psalm of the soul
I pray Thee,God
,the path of truth reveal !
For Thou a lone and truth,I know
,are rea l .
I cheerfu l ly drink sorrow,
Have hope for each to -morrow
I wou ld not from Thee,Lord
,my soul concea l .
With in me,Lord
,—deep in my l iving soul
,
There burns a fi re my love cannot contro l .
The vis ion Thou hast sent me
In twain has nearly rent me ;The c loud obscures the star that shou ld conso le .
O Father,in the so l itude of night
’
I saw the shining star of heaven ly l ight '
And,awed with s i lent wonder
,
Mine ears drank c lamoring thunder ,And ever—changing c louds obscured the l ightThe l ightning flashed
,the heavens roared a loud ;
With terror ’s eyes , I watched the mystic c loud
That gloomily was sai l ing
O ’er glory ’s star un fa i ling ,Which
,l ike a diamond , p ierced the sombre shroud .
8 2 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
Wh i le shadows tinged my ’raptured,beaming face
The giant c loud p lunged wild ly into space ;The starb eams
,—darting
,—thri l led me
,
Hadst Thou been gone,they ’d ki lled me
With pains of joy l ike unto Heaven’s grace .
I ’ve l i fted up my heart,O Lord , to Thee !
And Thou hast fi l led my soul with mystery ;My prayer
,—Thou didst revea l it ,
W ith in my heart I fee l i t !
The c loud,my l i fe
,—the S tar of Truth is Thee .
FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
THE BREAD OF L IFE
The heart o f man is starv ing .
On the path fo r ages trodHe drags h is famished body
,
His soul athirst for God .
Come ye ,—all ye that laborEat o f the l iving bread ;D rink o f the bloody chalice
,
Ar i se ye from the dead !
Man thou art more than mortal,
And love is not a clod .
Feed thou thy famished body
Upon the flesh o f God .
Unles s you dr ink this chalice,
Unless you eat th is bread,
You shall not have l i fe in you,
So God Himsel f hath said .
God is the world ’s e ! i stence,
The l i fe , the truth , the way .
D rink o f the wor ld ’s to-morrow,
Eat of the world ’s to-day .
CHILDREN ’S HYMN TO MARY 8 5
CHILDREN ’
S HYMN TO MARY
O Mary , sweet Mother , we come , —we come
To wo rship sweet Jesus with thee !
We crown thee with flowers
These b right blooming hours ;We know that from sin thou art free
,art free .
And to Jesus we sing ;His praises shal l ring
In outbursts o f song to thee,—to thee
,
In caro ls o f j oy to thee .
O Mother , pure Virgin , then grant , pray , our boon
May vi rtue bloom fairer each day ;With touch so divine
,
May it qu icken like wine,
As you guide us , O Queen , on - our way,—our way .
And with us every day
The angels shal l pray
As we carry our cross o ’e r His way,
-His way .
As we carry our cross o ’er His way!
8 6 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
Queen o f May,Virgin Mary
,our young hearts
gay ,
For thou art our Mother,
—our love .
We wil l Offer our prayer,
Spread thy name everywhere,
As we praise thee and Jesu s to—day,to—day
,
Who suffered and died,
Was crowned,crucified
,
That mankind might l ive by His love—His love .
That mankind might l ive by His Love .
O Mary , sweet Mother , we come ,To wo rship sweet Jesus with thee
We crown thee wi th flowers
These bright blooming hou rs
We know that from sin thou art free,art f ree .
And to Jesus we sing ;His praises shal l r ing
In outbu rsts o f song to thee,
—to thee,
In caro l s o f j oy to thee .
FAITH , HOPE , AND CHARITY 87
FAITH,HOPE
,AND CHARITY
Sunrise on the mounta ins ;Sunset on the sea ;
O mel low golden moonlight ,How dear thou art to me !
The wild lays of the wood land
The music o f the ril l ,The sympathy o f Nature
,
Who can forget the th r i l l
O f so l itude and beauty ,O f evening ’s so ft del ight ,
The woodland ’s vesper songsters,
The plaintive sighs o f Night ,But sweeter than the music
O f nature to the Sou lI s L i fe ’s immortal story ,True v i rtues that conso le
Faith,the sou l O f Ange ls
Hope,eternal youth
,
And Charity,—the Love o f God ,
The vo ice of l iving t ruth .
8 8 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
THE HEART OF GOD
I love Thee,God ,
among the City ’s s ighing
I love Thee in the so lemn watch of night ;I love Thee
,Lord
,when weary day is dying
,
And Nature fades in s i lence from my sight .
Each vesper momen t th robs with hope eternal ;Each soul vibrates with lov ing sympathy
,
Each l i fe becomes an arden t prayer supernal
Which radiates,Heart Crucified ,
from Thee !
Thou art,O Heart
,the angel ’s fount of glory ;
The dread o f demons into Hell once hu rled ;The humble saint reflects thy sad li fe ’s story ;
“
Thou art my share,loved Heart , o f this bleak world .
HAIL , DAUGHTER OF THY SONDIVINE 8 9
HAIL,DAUGHTER OF THY SON DIVINE !
Hail,Virgin Mother of a K ing
,
Whose throne thou art !
O Daughter of thy Son DivineWhose sacred heart
I ts precious li feblood drew from
Hail,Full of Grace !
Thy soul doth magni fy the Lord
Who is with thee .
Plant cou rage in thi s heart o f mine,
Oh,pray for me !
God’s angel ’s word I bring to thee .
Hail,Full of Grace !
90 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
THE WORLD IS ONLY A TOMB
We live in a trance in this world here below,
And the Sou l i s obscured in the gloom ;When we wake from the dream o f this l i fe we shall
know
The whole world is only a tomb .
L ike a diamond that s leeps in the dark stony mine,
And to dream o f Li fe does not presume,
The sou l i s as leep in its earthly confine
The who le wor ld is only a tomb .
From li fe unto death,
-death again,fruit fu l change
Thro ’ Time doth God’s law slow consume ;
Each mortal must t ravel this eternal range
The who le wor ld is only a tomb .
We die when on earth , amid pain we are born ;The earth is God ’s l imbo of gloom ;But the dream of li fe wisely doth serve but to warn
That the who le world is only a tomb .
The Valley of Death i s the pathway to light ,Which leads thro ’ the wor ld ’s pass ing gloom ;
92 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
ONLY GOD AND TRUTH ARE REAL
O ’er the wo r ld there hangs a terror
L ike a ghost near dismal tomb ;And the demon ’s name is Error
’
Tis the fru it of Evi l ’s womb .
And this Vei l Of Darkness covers
A l l the faculties o f man .
O ’er the mind there ever hovers
In its gloominess this ban .
I f this gloom is real,pathetic
,
’Tis a symbol we must feel ;Mind must pierce the waves prophetic
Truth is pi lot at the wheel .
In truth man ’s gr ie f is but mortal '
Death the kingdom shall reveal ;Gr ie f shall vanish at the portal .
Only God and Truth are real .
SONGS OF NATU RE
OSSIAN’S FLOWER SHADOW 95
OSS IAN’
S FLOWER SHADOW
O ’er evening falls the twilight hour ;The quiet wood land ’s verdant sheen
Doth cast its mant le o ’er each flower,
Wh ich hangs its heavy head serene,
And waves in motion with the gale,
And , murmuring so ft ly , seems to say
Why dost thou wake me,whispering gale !
Why sweep the trembling dewdrops ’way,
The golden gems from Heaven ’s glades !
My sou l with’
secret j oy now heaves !
The time is come,
—my beauty fades ;The b last doth scatter far my leaves
TO—morrow sha l l the shepherd comeWho loved me in my beauty freeHis eyes shal l O’er the woodland run
In vain , —alas —to seek for me .
!
96 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
THE KING OF SNOW
Litt le bird,
Have you heard,
From the K ing of Snow ,
From his palace in the sky
Where he dwells alone on high !
Does he mean us good,or harm
When he sends the snow and storm !
I s there wisdom in my tears !
Is there reason in my fears !
Tell me,
Little bi rd .
As you know
Birds of Snow
Love the Old Snow K ing .
In the snowstorm we delight ;Messages we bea r each night
When the snow is fal ling fast,
When the Autumn days are past
From our Master,—kind old man
And his happiness we plan .
Fear not !
He loves man .
NATURE 97
NATURE
Lovelv i s th e charm o f the n ight .—SPENSER.
Theocr itus,poet o f the hi l ls
,
Did mingle music with the r i l ls,
Did ope his soul to Nature’s song
,
And told his story to his flock .
There flowed in music from his reed
The aspirations of his soul,
Which,—l ike the gent le
,heaving sea ,
Receives the river in its course.
And as the fragrant numbers fel lTo mingle with fai r Nature ’s breath
,
The dais ies , s leeping in the de l l ,Thri lled with the j oy they loved so we l l ;
And dreamed o f L i fe and Love and God .
Nor sweeter was the deep,pure note
That flowed in music from his throat
Than are the secret s ighs of Night .
98 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
APRIL
A spring idyl of old Japan
On the tender,fragrant blossoms
Fa l ls the so ft,white , crystal snow ,
Like a fleecy ,ve lvet mantle ,
Covers buds and flowers s low .
Then I seek ! how vain ! ! to carry
Snowy treasures of the land
To my loved one in the city ;LO —they me lt within my hand .
Deep the snow ; in hil ls ide garden
Silv’
ry locks o f dying year ;B right the Sun in verna l glory
Twines each crysta l to a tear .
Ah,i t seems as i f old Winter
,
Conscious of his dying hour,
Weeps in sol itary anguish,
Leaves a tear-drop in each flower .
100 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
April,sham e ! Thou month of flowers
,
L inger in the sky so blue
Moderate your ardent torrents .
Are you j ealous o f the dew !
Thru the Winter,chi ll and dreary
,
Heard I not the song of bird,
Now,with thri l l ing notes o f raptu re
Nightingale and lark are heard .
Long I strol led this Apr i l morning’Mong the ais les o f woodland green .
Nature ho lds her court o f welcome
Ecce Spring,thou blushing Queen !
Spring is here,Oh
,bury sorrow !
Joyful be al l hearts to—daySummer , too , will come to-morrow
D rive al l gloomy thoughts away !
NATURE ’S REQUIEM FOR THE DEAD 101
NATURE ’
S REQUIEM FOR THE DEAD
A November Threnody
In the Fall o f the year
Comes the fal l o f the tear,
And al l of them here
Are sad ;For the fal l of the year
And the fal l of the tear
Are the gal l and the fear,
Yea,the pal l and the bier
O f the dead .
Even the pang of sorrow
Leaves a thril l of joy ,There is a sp lendid beauty that escapes
Even the ho rro r o f the scene
When the fair virgin martyr,
S tript of wealth,hono r
,and mantle
,
Mingles her dying prayers
With the fierce animal rage
O f the bounding leopardThat crunches her tender bones
In h is b lood-dripping j aws .
102 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
There is a beauty
In the linger ing s igh o f a dying child ;There is a splendor
,
Even in sombre widowhood ;There is
,too
,a mysterious
,
Resplendent beauty
In the blush o f the dying year,
When Natu re strews the couch with
Autumn leaves .
Have you been out in the s i lent woods
During the past few days !
Have you seen the grand old hi lls
Emblazoned with the heraldry of Au tumn !
The crest o f roya lty is there,
Mou n ting the House of Death .
The cr imson blood of martyrdom
Flecks the field of virgin go ld ;The standard of roya l purp le
Is mantled w ith pa le b lue stars ;The season ’s armored legion
Is resting on the hi l ls .The sunl ight fal l ing on their var ied helme ts
Gl istens at noondayL ike a shower o f shimmer ing go ld
Shaken from angels ’ wings .
104 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
I knelt on consecrated ground,
For Nature,mute pri est o f God ,
With strange l iturgica l contradiction,
In vestments of cr imson and gold,
Raimen t of the l iving ,Was saying Mass for the dead .
The P arad ise of B irds
Fa r beyond the northern ice
L ies the bird ’s fai r Paradise
Fai rer place was never seem
Music here is lovely Queen .
No ear hath heard
The song o f bi rd
SO charming and divine ,A symphony
O f harmonySo charming and divine !
Here,beneath the morning skies ,
’Mid the j oys o f Paradise ,Happy birds enj oy new birth ,Bid farewel l to Mother Earth
,
Each spi r it b lest
With peace and‘
rest,
NATURE ’S REQUIEM FOR THE DEAD 105
Eternal b l i s s and j oy !
A symphony
O f harmony ,Eternal b l is s and j oy !
Sunshine,Music
,Happiness ,
Birds ’ own Paradise of blis s .
Rainbow- colored feathered throng
L iving in eternal song .
Sweet hymns of praise ,Entrancing lays
Ascend to H im above ,A symphony
O f harmony !
Love ’s tr ibute unto love !
Q ueen of the Night
In the heavens who is l ike thee
Queen of the s i lent night !
Thy smile encheers the s leeping
Creation loves thy l ight .
At thy so ft,glo rious presence
,
Why,e ’en the stars serene
DO turn away thei r sparkling,eyes
In s ilence ’ fore thei r queen .
106 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
Thy steps,—l ike mu s ic so ft o f song
,
In thr i l l ing beau ty r i se,
E ’en as the daughter of the snows
S teps from the hal l O f s ighs .
Behind the rol ling Eastern cloud
Doth glow thy beauty there ;And playfu l waves oft kiss thy l ight
And bathe thy lovely hair .
108 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
Thy rule,alas ! to Oss ian is in vain ;
The halo of thy smiles I cannot see,
For God has hung a curtain o’er my sou l 1
And I am blind to Moon and Stars and thee .
N0 more thy beams of tr iumph I behold ;And i f thy yel low hai r on eastern wave
Flows like the trembling chords on harps o f go ld,
Or i f ’neath red- cloud portals of the West
Thou rulest like a monarch on his thron e,
I see thee not ,—but d ream that thou art there .
Alas ! perhaps,l ike mine
,thy day shal l come
,
Thy years o f l ight wil l find a so lemn end .
Then shalt thou s leep,entombed in sable c louds ,
Unmindful o f the Morning ’s plaintive cry .
Exult,O Sun
,and glory in thy youth !
O ld age is dark,un lovely
,and unkind ;
’Tis like the glimmering l ight o f waning Moon,
Which shines through si lver mists upon the hil ls ;The blast o f North is on the cheerless plain
,
The trave ler shrinks,his j ourney j ust begun .
1O s s ian
,the Homer of th e anc ient Gael , was b l ind .
CHILD ’S ODE TO IRISH BLACKB IRD 109
CHILD ’S ODE TO THE IRISH BLACKBIRD
Queen of warblers , tune ful B lackbird ,How I love thy morning song !
Perched upon the hedge or wil low,
Leader of the feathered throng !
B lack thy wing and ebon- feathered
Fu l l o f peace and j oy thy note ;Dance with mirth those eyes of pleasure
Shining brightly as thy coat .
S ing to me those lays o f gladness !
Let thy music fi l l my soul !
In the tumu lt of thy raptures
Every note doth tears console .
S ing again thy song o f welcome ;Praise with joy the blushing daw
Wake the flowers and the woodland ;Ca l l the cuckoo and the fawn !
Nature loves thee,happy b lackbird
Lovely morning ’s first del ight
Fi l l the world with warblings a lways ,We lcome
,then
,with morning
’
s light !
1 10 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
TO A VIOLET
Blue Vio let,why fade away ,
O woodland ’s fai r delight !The roses love thy maj es ty ,The dais ies love thy sight .
L ike Opal in the v ernal shade ,Thy beauty glow s serene !
Thou queen o f al l the flow ery glade ,The fai res t blossom seen !
Don ’t die ! ! the pure white L i ly cri es .
“Oh,stay ! ! implores the Rose
’Tis time enough when summer dies
To s leep in death ’s repose .
!
1 12 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
But whither dost thou oft re t ire, O Queen of all
repose,
When thou dost leave thy azu re cou rse , and darkness
round thee grows !
Hast thou thy hal l beyond the hil ls , l ike the Palace o f
the Sun !
Where on thy bed thy lovely form doth rest when
du ty ’s done !
O r dost thou dwel l ’mid sadness,in the shadow dark
o f grie f !
Have thy s isters fai r been sto l en by some dark
ungodly thie f !
Are they,
—who oft rej o iced with thee at Night and
e ’er,—no more !
Hast thou no mother,father
,fr i ends
,nor sisters to
adore !
Yes,they have fal len
,fairest light ! Thou retirest oft
to mourn ;And thou thysel f shal l fai l one night , and leave thy
blue path ’s bourne
And darksome Night,
—who o ft was cheered , whenweeping
,in thy beams ,
Shal l bathe the s leeping Earth in tears,and swel l the
silv’
ry streams .
TO LUNA 1 13
Then let us e ’er rej oice,O Moon
,and honor Him
above !
For man doth live in darkness here,protected by His
love .
Thy l ight,O Moon
,l ike God ’s own Word , doth guide
us in the night ;When morning comes
,thou dost depart
,the Sun of
Truth gives l ight .
1 14 FATHER TIERNEY ’S POEMS
THE WOODLAND ’
S WELCOME
Blushing flowers count the hours,
Wake my slumber ing soul ;Each Old tree doth speak to me ,As in the woods I stro l l .
Above me high,my Old fr iends fly ;
The redbird sweetly s ings ;The calm
,sweet breeze glides through the trees
And fans her downy wings .
Now answer al l the redbird ’s cal l,
The robin and the j ay ;The happy throng with gladsome song ,A l l “We lcome ! ! seem to say .
The wild doves,woo ing , cease their coo ing ,
And hide behind the leaves .
Sweet si lence here and everywhere
Comforts the heart that gr ieves .
That ho l low tree in mystery
A grave Old f riend doth shield ;With blinking eyes the poor owl spies
H is friend thro ’ gloom revea led .
1 16 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
And sister flowers,who love the bowers
,
Have welcomed thee again .
Creation seems enshr ined in d reams '
E ’en speaks the verdant sod .
Free flowing tears dissolve my years,
My soul is fi l led with God .
THOUGHTS ON NIGHT 117
THOUGHTS ON NIGHT
As gently fal ls the Moon ’s so ft light
As flows the grace of God thro ’ prayer ;As s lowly c lose the fo lds of Night
As creeps the mist o ’
er placid lake !
Night clothes the earth in fairy form,
And smiles the smile of innocence,
And hides behind the mountainside,
Nor l i stens to the plaintive moon
That bathes the world in mel low l ight
Nor ventures in the cavern deep,
But b lesses Nature ’s peace fu l s leep .
The twink l ing stars al l j o in the song
To praise their God in Harmony,
And mingle deep thei r tears divine .
In j oy serene the p lacid lake
Doth s lumber in the woodland ’s shade
A lovely sheet of l iving b lue
Where fa l ls in peace the Moon ’s so ft l ight .
118 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
A SEPTEMBER REVERIE
The rosy days o f youth ful j oys are fled ;The images o f youth not al l are dead ;The sunlight o f those happy days doth shine
With cheer ing warmth upon this s i lv ery head .
The s tori es o f those go lden hou rs so dear,
The fo lklore o f a chi ldhood I revere
Rise ’ fore my waver ing mind in reveri e
Once more the days of youth are real and n ear !
A secret o f my heart I would reveal,
A thought that every soul must know and fee l
The treasure truly great is not o f gold,
The eternal treasure Soul has for its seal .
We are not what the world holds us in store ;True wealth is o f the spir it ,—nothing more ;Ou r own creations are our only wor ld ;Mind makes its own creation to adore .
The wor ld doth pass away like days o f youth ;God only is eternal ,—and God ’s truth ;Each man his moral kingdom makes and rules
A thousand men,a thousand wor lds
,forsooth .
12 0 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
THE SONG OF THE BIRDS
I love to hear the Blackbird sing ;I love to hear the Jay ;There ’s mus ic in the Robin ’s hymn
,
There ’s rapture in h is lay .
I love to hear the praises o f
The,gushing Nightinga le
,
The lyric insp iration of
The B luebird in the va le .
I love to hear the Lark at dawn,
With p leasure throbs his sou l ;The Bobol ink doth tremb le with
A j oy he can ’t contro l .
I love to hear the fu lsome note
That wakes the deep night ’s hush,
The w ise old Owl ’s sad , disma l hootI l ike to hear the thrush .
And o ften when my heart ’s depressed,
Just every now and then,
I l ike to hear the cheery note
O f l itt le Jenny Wren !
THE GREEK SHEPHERD ’S LAY 12 1
THE GREEK SHEPHERD ’
S LAY
Oh , what to the sad heart so sweet as the noteO f the poor rustic Shepherd improving his oat
,
’Mid bright summer j oys and fair rural fields,Rapt list
’
ning to Nature , and prais ing her yields !
The Sun,king o f day
,bids the green earth adieu
,
And royal ly s inks ’mid his splendor from V iew ;The deep plaintive notes lu l l the evening that s lumbers
In dreamland ’s fai r pastures the tired flocks stray ;The Shepherd pipes on
,fearing not night ’s mo ist
shade,
But l ives in the sweet notes which Nature pervade ;H is soul
,ful l o f love and the thoughts they inspire ,
I s speaking in rapture of Cupid’s pure fire .
The gods drink the joy o f the poor Shepherd’
s
mead,
The heaven-voiced music that fal ls f rom his reed .
The gladness o f man wrought in go lden—hopednumbers
Shall forever find voice in the lone Shepherd’
s lay .
12 2 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
A SONG OF WINTER
When
Soon we ’ l l hear,Far and near
,
Borne on ear,
Songs so dear ;“Robin ’s here ;Spr ing is near
,
beho ld ! ’twil l soon
Winter ’s here,
Co ld and drear .
Il ever fear !
Mirth and cheer
Grace the year ,Glad New Year
the heart is young and
SONGS RINGING IN MY HEART 12 5
MILL ION SONGS ARE RINGING IN MYHEART
A song of songs unsung
A mill ion songs are ringing in my heart,
But,for a sin o f s i lence long ago
,
God p lucked from out my soul the poet ’s art .
My torture none but God and demons know .
These chi ldren of my sou l seek but in vain
For bi rth and l i fe upon the bright green earth ;My pent-up throes o f labor , woe, and pain
Are God’s dread prophecies of their unb irth .
The patient world,expectant
,wou ld rej oice
To hear the lyr ics which within me dwel l .
Oh,who wi l l grant to me the gi ft o f vo ice ,S ince God has j ustly thrust me into he l l !
A mi l l ion songs are raging in my heart,
But,for a sin o f s i lence long ago ,
God struck me dumb ,—withdrew the poet’s art .
I Suffer now for s ins of long ago .
12 6 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
S HOH HEEN SHOH
An ancient I rish lu llaby
I ’d br ing my boy baby,br ight
,laughing and fai r
,
Into heavenly slumber and rest ;With ancient love—songs and sweet fairyloreI ’d lull him to s leep in h is nest .
I ’d sing not coarse songs o f the fear les s and bold
For in chi ldhood ’s so ft d ream all i s fair,
As the soothing breeze blows in a cradle of go ld ,My baby would dream
,free from care .
CHORUSS -hoh-heen
,Shoh
,
Hill- loh,low ;
S—hOh -heen,shoh
,my dar l ing baby .
S -hoh-heen,shoh
,
Hill—10 h,low ;
S -hoh-heen,shoh
,my darl ing baby .
I ’d lul l my boy sweet ly,to S leep time away
’Mid the shade and the fruit and the flowers ;On a bright summe r day when al l the wor ld ’s gay,And the good angels watch with the hours .
12 8 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
MRS . NATION ’
S REPUTATION
Sure,Maloney , now ,
—faith !—an’ d ’ye hear uv Mrs .
Nation ,Who raises O ld Nick with the Kansas saloon !Be the shnakes ov Saint Patr ick ! she ’s tryin
’ the same
th rick ,
Our saint wanst performed o’
er the say ,
—thegossoon !
Why,
she smashes the fixtures,the mi rro rs
,and
picthures,
And throws al l the spir it s right out in the street .
Where in peace they wur th rivin ’ wid a hatchet she ’s
drivin’
The shnakes f rom o ld Kansas to certain de feat .
She swears be the powers be fore many hours
To w reck ivery dive in the doomed Sunflower S tate .
Su re,the way she goes th ru it
,I bel ieve she wil l do
it,
Un les s some spalpeen wid a c lub breaks her pate .
MRS . NATION ’S REPUTATION 12 9
This same Mrs . Nation ,—O ld Harry ’s re lation ,I think , friend Maloney ,
’
s as da ft as a loon .
Fond she i s uv the preach in’
,and proud uv her
teach in’
,
And is fi l led with the wind uv a Spanish ba l loon .
To th is Prophet of Kansas some tempting bonanzas
Were Offered last week be the kings o f the stage ;But the bo ld M rs . Nation says she knows her station
,
Her work is to kind le the dive-keepers ’ rage .
But Ma loney,be l ieve me
,—I wi l l not deceive ye
,
This woman is earnest and manes to do wel l .
I be l i eve her intinshuns are time ly previnshuns,The savin ’ uv many a young man from Hel l .
Yis,this queer occypashun uv bo ld Mrs . Nation
Is not,I con fess
,what a woman shou ld do .
Frind Ma loney,I ’m th inkin
’ this illagal drink in’
W i l l make proh ibition for sure . Now , don’t you !
But what i f thi s fury shou ld come to M issouri ,Wou ld she start a sa loon
,Tom ! Say
,what do you
th ink !
To'
Old Nick wid Mrs . Nation and ivery re lation !
Says Ma loney . Come,Casey
,let ’s have one more
drink !
13 0 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
BESS IE AND JESS IE
Two l ittle playmates are Bessie and Jess ,Happy
,young
,grace fu l
,and fair .
Bessie loves Jessi e,and Jess ie loves Bess
,
Gay a re thei r hearts , —free f rom care .
Jess is a l i ly,and Bess a red rose ;
They glow with true fr iendship and love '
In al l Nature ’s garden no fai rer bud grows
Than thes e blossoms of innocent love .
Pure friendship ’s devotion,untarnished by stri fe ,
A smi le wreathes each loving caress .
True playmates in youth and faith ful thro ’ l i fe,
Fa ir Bessie and innocent Jess .
O fai r l ittle friends,may your love
'
e’
er increase ;May Virtue herse l f guide your way ,S trew you r path with the bless ings o f Love , Joy ,
Peace !
Remember that L i fe ’s but a day .
13 2 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
THANKSGIVING DINNER
An idyl of the farm
You may boast about you r Swell cafe s menu,—its bil l
o f fare
O f the great hotels o f Paris and the service cateredthere ;
You may talk Of fancy dinners—d la mode,with mus ic
grand,
Which you ’ve tasted in your travels through the cities
of the land .
Perhaps you are a nabob,or a multi—mill ionaire
,
A gentleman o f quality,a prince
,or favored heir ,
Mayhap you are a connoisseur,and love you r viands
pure ;Perhaps you ’re only happy when you p lay the epicu re .
I don ’t care what your station i s,or what you rea l ly
are ;I care not where your appetite has led you ,
—near orfar
,
You could not in a thousand years , wherever you
might roam ,
THANKSGIVING D INNER 13 3
Dup l icate Thanksgiving dinner at the O ld Missou r ihome .
What did we have ! You ask . Well here ’s the story,
briefly told
For cheery appetizer that which can ’t be bought with
gold,
True gratitude to God fo r a l l His gi fts,to men
,good
cheer
And every heart was thankfu l for the b lessings of the
year .
This moral appetizer fi l led the house with love and
cheer,
And each one said,deep in his heart ! “ I ’m happy to
be here ! !
And everything seemed brighter than i t was the daybe fore .
Thanksgiving day at Mother ’s—We l l,now ; who could
w ish for more !
I could not name the things we had ,—a lthough I tryso hard ,
Especial ly in rhyme,because I real ly am no bard
,
But s ince you ’d have me mention,as you say
,at least
a few
For the sake of sweet remembrance,
—well,I don ’t
care i f I do .
13 4 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
A turkey in the middle,and a tu rkey on the side
,
How they were baked so temp t ingly,I really
decide ,The dress ings ! They were excel lent ; the salads were
superb,
I doted on the celery,the condiment de herb .
Red cranberr ies and apples bright adorned the festive
board,
The best of cur ly lettuce too,that autumn cou ld
affo rd .
I ate the mashed potatoes wi th a sort of pious ease
And prepared to taste the sweet potatoes , fo l lowed by
the cheese .
I near forgot to mention ’bou t the gravy,r ich and
brown,
Which made S i s ’ Annie famous with the laddies o f
the town .
There was buttermilk and coffee , mint and j u lep ! cal lit milk ! ,
After you had drunk a glass or so you felt as fine as
S i lk .
The bread was Mother ’s graham,brown , o r wheat , or
wholesome rye ;To be in season
,Nora said
,she must have pumpkin
p ie .
13 6 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
THE TRAMP OF OLD ST . JOE
I ’ve trave led ’ round the world a heap
And seem—well , quite a bit ;But every place seems dead and cheap
,
An ’ never ’
ve I seen yit
A town where ev ’ry fel low seems
To be content,ye know
,
The place of home an ’ chi ldhood dreams ,A p lace l ike O ld S t . Joe .
No,I won ’t stay here a l l the year
’Cause I ’m a rol lin ’ stone ,An ’ must be stoppin
’ here an ’ there ;My time
,you know ,
’
S my own .
Yes,I must run my weary pace ;
But everywhere I go
I tel l the fo lks there ain ’t no p lace
TO me l ike o ld S t . Joe .
Yes,I ’m Weary W i ll i e , boys .
I ’ve seen hard times ,—that ’s true.
I ’ve tasted too o f earthly j oys ,An ’ so,
no doubt , have you ,
THE TRAMP OF OLD ST. JOE 13 7
Just forty years ago to-day
My sou l rece ived a blow,
Which makes me always love to stay
A whi le in o ld S t . Joe .
I f you wou ld hear the story true
! Don’t mind my sobs an ’ tears ! ,
A story o ld,but a lways new ,
Then let him learn who hears
My mother fled to God above
Just forty years ago .
An ’ that is why,my friends , I love
My boyhood home,S t . Joe .
She kissed her wayward,will fu l son ;
From home he did depart .
I was her chi ld,—her only one
My errors b roke her heart .
I found my dear old mother dead
Just forty years ago ,When from my crimes I homeward fled ,To hide in old S t . Joe .
God knows I loved my mother , boys ;But youth was led astray .
I heeded not her ange l vo ice ,Now s in has had its day .
13 8 FATHER TIERNEY POEMS
Friends,thank you for your sympathy
,
And now,be fore I go ,
I beg you al l to pray for me ,The Tramp o f O ld St . Joe .
140 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
The wor ld lays tribute at thy feet .
O Queen,thy fate we al l must meet
Death ’s victory,
Victoria !
EP ITAPH
She l ived , she loved , She ruled , she died ;With God on High she doth abide .
She beautified her l i fe’s long hour ,
And conquered with fai r Vi rtue ’s power .
Death ’s victory ,Victoria !
THE POLAR STAR 141
THE POLAR STAR
Th e C ! arina of Ru ss ia v i s its h er father,K ing Chr i st ian of
Denmark , sa i l ing in th e good sh ip P olar S tar. The fleet ofpeace approaches in mock warf are .
E ’en l ike a Faer ie Queen she came
From out her rea lms afar ;Her roya l fleet swept o ’
er the main ;Her throne , - the P olar S tar !
Th is peace fu l fleet sai led o’
er the sea ,
L ike sp irits of the deep,
To render homage to thei r Queen,
Her roya l peace to keep .
’M id v irgin pomp she came to see,
On Sh ip ’s maj est ic w ing ,Her aged father whom she loved ,Fair Denmark ’s Christ ian king .
The myriad mighty sh ips bore on
To Denmark ’s happy Shore .
Ho ! Ho ! Ho ! Ho ! She sees her home ,Her native land
,once more !
142 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
Her eyes are fi lled with tears of j oy ;The roya l music tears
Her soul with memor ies o f youth
She loves her native ai rs !
Far grander than Armada bo ld
Her fleets sa i l up the bay .
A peace ful conquest ’twas that the
Czarina made that day !
She captured not the city waIIS '
Hers was a peace ful move !
She took by storm her Father ’s heart
And seized his K ingship ’s love !
The Royal Garden s breathe salute '
The trees bend gently o’
er ;The fountains murmur j oyfu l ly
Their welcome to our shore !
With love the fair Czarina came ;With lov e she won them al l .
Hail —Welcome —was the festive wordThat echoed through the hal l
144 FATHER TIERNEY POEMS
And God b less the Czarina dear ,Fond helpmate o f the Czar '
And may the sunshine o f her l i fe
Extend its light a far !
MISSOURI TO KENTUCKY 145
MISSOURI TO KENTUCKY
Ded icated to former Governors Crittenden, S tone,
and Francis, of M issouri, and Governor Beckham ofKentucky, at the time of the Kentucky Home-Coming
celebration.
Ye Kentuck ians know us ;As brothers
,now show us
That true hospital ity dear to your hearts .
Missouri,—Kentucky
How roya l ly lucky
A man who was born in these glorious parts !
To ho ld home communion ,Each S tate in the Union
I s cal ling the sheep from the paths that they roam ,
To drink to the health of ,
Rej o ice in the wea lth o f
Kentucky the faith fu l are al l coming Home .
The mi ld zea l o f fury
Wh ich throbs in M issouri ,Transm itted to us from the S tate of our b irth ,
146 FATHER TIERNEY’S POEMS
Every sorrow effaces
And smiles in our faces
To prove we ’re Kentuckians ,—lords o f the Earth !
So here’s to Kentucky
,
S trong,sturdy
,and plucky
Kentucky that gave to Missou r i her best .Hark !— ha rk to the singing !
Missouri i s br inging
Her Kentucky Lochinvars out o f the West !
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