· THE AMERICAN FLAG Unfurl the ﬂag of freedom ! Lo —behold The ensign of a people young and bold ! Repeat our banner ’s story; Salute …

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 !


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 ,

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

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 .


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 .



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


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 .


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 !



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


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.


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 .

!


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 .



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 !

!


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 .


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 !


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,



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 .


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 ,


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 .


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 .



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 .


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 !


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 .



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 .


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 .



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!


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 .


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 !


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 ;



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 .

!


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 .


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 .



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 .


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 .



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 .


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 .



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 !


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 .

!



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 .



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 .


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 .



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 .


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 .


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 .



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 !


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 .



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 .


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 .



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 .



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 !


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



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 ,


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 !

Documents

· THE AMERICAN FLAG Unfurl the ﬂag of freedom ! Lo —behold The ensign of a people young and bold ! Repeat our banner ’s story; Salute …