The Project Gutenberg eBook of Poems of Peace and War
Title: Poems of Peace and War
Author: Elizabeth H. Connor
Release date: April 19, 2016 [eBook #51807]
Most recently updated: October 23, 2024
Language: English
Credits: Produced by Larry B. Harrison, Chuck Greif and the Online
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POEMS OF PEACE AND WAR
ELIZABETH H. CONNOR
THE RECORD PRESS
HAVERHILL, MASSACHUSETTS
1917
Copyright, 1917, by
ELIZABETH H. CONNOR
POEMS OF PEACE AND WAR
SIMPLICITY.
In all God’s wondrous work,
This glowing truth divinely blest
Within our hearts should lurk;
So God will come as we perceive,
This kingdom to possess,
And all that’s base will fade away,
All evil He’ll suppress.
A WORLD REPUBLIC IS ARISING.
Floats o’er the warring breeze,
While a powerful new light is forming
Far o’er the briny seas,
For the day of dynasties is fading
Into the darkest night,
As a world republic is arising
Clear as the morning light.
Shining through grim despair,
For a wonderful light is approaching,
Glowing with love and care,
Completely trusting in God above us,
Though sad our hearts may be,
Will reveal the dawn of a brighter day
In fair democracy.
THE BIRTH OF THE FLOWERS.
(A Reverie On Creation.)
On tiny beads of crystal fell,
While o’er the earth in mantle green
A rainbow circled hill and dell;
Brilliant, majestic it appeared,
In many colors to be seen,
Neath misty heav’ns and setting sun
O’er man’s first paradise serene.
Towards the many colored bow,
Like seagulls sweeping o’er the sea,
Then lighting on the waves below;
Down through the clouds they beat their wings,
From the depths of heavenly blue
So perched on this celestial arch,
They gazed in wonderment anew.
Stood Eve so beautiful and fair,
Adam her spouse gallant and true,
With fiery glance and flowing hair;
Angels and seraphims above
With golden heads and wings so white,
From this frail arch of varied hues,
Dropped to the earth in sudden plight.
Flow’rs grew in colors sweet and true,
Just like the rainbow over head,
Softly nurtured with heavenly dew.
Then back they flew through mist and clouds,
From flow’ry meads far, far away
To the depths of eternal love
Chanting to earth their sweetest lay.
THE GUARD AND GLORY OF THE WORLD.
(Fair Columbia.)
Columbia is thee,
To your fair shores the pilgrims came,
From o’er the briny sea;
Like beacon lights from shore to shore,
The stars of freedom shine,
Brilliant, majestic they appear,
As viewed from ev’ry clime.
Her forests mounting high,
Her lakes and rills with music thrills
Our hearts as we draw nigh;
We hear the glad notes of the birds,
Winging their merry flight,
O’er shrub and tree, o’er hill and dale,
Through sunshine warm and bright.
Here equal rights for all,
Emblazoned forth on ev’ry page
In justice loudly call,
That despotism has had its day,
Democracy must rule
This universe from zone to zone
In fair Columbia’s school.
IN THE FIRELIGHT.
As they dance and purr in the gloom,
Leaping and casting weird shadows
That illumine the quaint old room,
Outside the wind whistles and moans
Through the shutters and leafless trees,
But signals of comfort and warmth
Flash a greeting o’er storm and breeze.
As he nears the old home once more,
Sees a picture he’ll ne’er forget,
As he stands by the open door,
For there circled ’round as they sit
In the glow of the flick’ring flames,
How their faces light up with joy
As he speaks the familiar names.
THE BUGLE CALL.
Resounding o’er the land,
To arms, to arms, yes one and all,
Now by our country stand;
The flag our fathers died to save,
Unfurled for ever more
In ev’ry clime, long may it wave,
The wide world o’er and o’er.
Of peace for all mankind,
With love let glad hozannas ring,
From ev’ry heart and mind;
Our country’s flag, our emblem fair,
Inspires us with zeal
To love and cherish, do and dare,
All for our country’s weal.
Sweet liberty proclaim,
For all beneath God’s arching sky,
All o’er earth’s vast domain,
Now we see her arm extending,
Far o’er the briny deep,
Hopes of freedom she is bringing,
To hearts that ache and weep.
LIFE’S FLOWERS.
It blooms then fades, yes fades away,
But its influence and beauty,
Within our hearts remain for aye;
We can hear a sweet voice calling,
We see the sunshine of a smile,
We feel a joy sublimely sweet
Just radiating all the while.
Sweet messages of love are they,
And they tell us, plainly tell us
All earthly life is but decay,
But the spirit liveth ever,
And all the good and ill we do
Reflect sunshine or cast shadows
O’er life’s flowers so good and true.
OH POWERFUL BUT PEACEFUL WEAPON.
PRAYER.
And brought to Christ’s most sacred feet,
The pagan of the ancient world,
Was pray’r, yes pray’r with wings so fleet.
In supplication bend the knee,
Be not afraid, do not despair,
For pray’r is heaven’s golden key.
For honor, justice, love to all,
Prayer’s influence for world wide peace,
Through divine justice cannot fall.
AMERICA’S STANDARDS.
(To the Flag and Cross We Cling.)
A story it doth tell,
Of freedom, loyalty and love,
Of hearts that bled and fell
Mid the thickening smoke of battle,
’Though tattered it may be,
It speaks of struggles, triumphs won,
All, hallowed memory.
On high a cross we see,
Symbol of faith, and hope, and love,
The cross of Calvary;
Rich mines of truth and of feeling,
Our glorious standards bear,
The cross of Christ our redemption,
The stars and stripes our emblem fair.
MORNING OF LIFE.
Like the sparkling waves on a sunkissed shore,
That ripple and dance in the sun’s warm ray,
Breathing love, joy and gladness ever more;
Now dreaming of castles so grand and high,
On bays o’er looking a wonderful sea,
Where bright groves of orange and myrtle lie,
On wooded heights filled with sweet melody.
Sing and warble their love from tree to tree,
While sparkling fountains splash, glisten, then sigh,
In huge basins of stone carved daintily;
The cool murm’ring wind and the bird’s soft trill,
The babbling brook on its way to the sea,
Oh, sweet morning of life stay with us still,
Through the sterner hours keep us good and free.
THOUGHTS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS OR EVIL: WHICH
SHALL IT BE?
The righteous way divinely blest
Where kindness, smiles, and gentle deeds,
Live on forever, never rest;
For no man’s work dies with his life,
But in the long forgotten years,
Down through the ages still live on,
Perpetuating joy or tears.
Conceived within a sordid mind,
The seed thus sown grows on and on,
We see despair, all crimes we find
Are lurking in the hearts of men,
Where justice, love and truth should be,
Thoughts influence for good or ill,
Immortal is, as you and me.
THE SUPPLICATION.
Of selfish greed, ignoble life,
Of lust for gain and pow’r to hold,
The lives of men, their very souls;
Out of the depths we cry to Thee,
Oh loving God make all men free;
O’er flash of cannon, musket roar,
Oh angel of peace ever soar.
THE SONG OF THE NIGHT.
Now softly shades of night draw nigh,
The birds are twit’ring on the boughs,
As flowers droop their heads and sigh;
We hear low murm’rings of the sea
In grand harmony rise and fall,
Ev’ry ripple a cadence sweet,
And ev’ry wave a distant call.
Entangled in joy and in tears,
Sweet mem’ries of old you recall,
Yes dim visions of by-gone years;
Oh ling’ring breath of darkness dense
Seeming lost in cavernous hill,
Little murmuring, hidden streams,
Low chanting the spirits’ sweet will.
Majestic the grandeur of night,
As dawn is stealing from afar
’Mid shimmering darkness and light;
So on shadowy wings of love,
Waft us thy song across the foam,
Over the bounding billows free,
Singing softly of home sweet home.
THOUGHTS FOR ALL CONTEMPLATING MATRIMONY.
(The Building of a Home.)
Is embodied in the building of a home
Where every thought of the inner soul employs,
Animates the intellects beneath its dome;
Where the child life gardens are sheltered from the winds,
And storms of life by loving unselfish care,
Blooming forth in beauty, bright symbols of the minds,
United devoted to their treasures there.
Blending together into one perfect light,
When the sun of past strength, and cherished youth are dead
And the silv’ry moon of beauty shines far less bright,
Like the valiant stars our treasures will remain
Sparkling and bright with love’s most radiant hue,
Guiding us on and on o’er the watery main,
Through the twilight shadows tender and true.
OUR FLAG AND OUR CHIEF.
(The Spirit of America.)
We see our chief with outstretched hands,
Raising that flag unfurled on high,
Now waving ’neath a cloudy sky;
O’er the sea from this rock-bound shore
We hear the din of battle roar,
Brother ’gainst brother, worldly strife
Ruin and turmoil, life for life.
Preserve our nation in this fight
For selfish greed, not honor true,
Where pure unselfish love we view;
We pray thee fill our hearts with care
For all earth’s people, will and dare
In righteous love peace to proclaim,
For all mankind in joy, not pain.
INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD.
Of peace, justice, freedom for all,
Where love reigns supreme in ev’ry man’s heart,
Then the dogs of warfare must fall,
When men of all nations, races and creeds,
Remember the old golden rule,
Then friendships will strengthen, hate will decay,
God speed the good doctrine and school.
AT DAWN.
Just opening to the light of day,
Velvet petals, all wet with dew,
Bearing a message on its way;
A message of love pure and bright,
God’s holy tribute to the dawn
Ere we greet the gathering light,
Ere we meet the day new born.
Before the mists have rolled away,
From mountain side, and valley fair,
In wooded glen they seem to say,
Awake, awake ’tis early dawn,
The night has passed, and day is here,
Behold the glories of the morn,
For lo! the rising sun appear.
In all its splendor to be seen,
Our hearts and fancies it doth thrill
With homage to the morning’s queen,
For colors like the purest gold,
And royal purple circle round
On crimson waves of light, and fold
The shades of night beneath a mound.
THE NEW STAR OF MANKIND.
On the flag of the western world,
Pow’rful in spirit and purpose we find
It resplendent where e’er unfurled,
A people united and free,
With love in our hearts for all men
Gaze heav’nward on that star and see
Sweet liberty shining therein.
These days of confusion and strife,
For freedom and peace we maintain
Will bloom with new vigor and life;
Where dynasties long have held sway,
And to the weak justice denied,
The new star of freedom alway
Will brighten the path they defied.
LEAD THOU ME ON.
Yes over life’s tempestuous sea,
My bark is frail as I set sail,
Over the bounding billows free;
The white caps glisten in the sun,
The angry waves dash on the shore,
But thy beacon light is shining,
Brightly shining to guide me o’er.
And I’m nearing the other shore,
Keep the beacon light a’burning
To safely, safely guide me o’er
To that land of joy and beauty,
To that land of love, truth and song,
Ever beckoning, beckoning onward;
Lead thou me on, lead thou me on.
WOMANHOOD.
O woman, what were you?
A slave, subject to brutal strength,
Not mental prowess true;
As woman was by nature raised,
To motherhood of race,
Should she below man’s level stand?
Nay, rather face to face.
E’en higher she is raised,
And on a pedestal enthroned,
Sweet reverence is paid;
Yes, behold Christ’s blessed mother,
Ideal of womanhood,
Inspiring theme for poets’ dreams,
All graciousness and good.
And mother of the race,
God gave to you of all on earth,
The highly honored place
Of teacher, sculptor of mankind,
For with your hands you mould
The plastic mind of youth and child,
More precious far than gold.
CHRISTMAS LYRIC.
(Mystery of Love.)
We worship thee our new born king,
Sween angels’ voices from above,
Heavenly strains of joy doth bring;
Lo! in Bethlehem’s holy shrine,
We see within a manger laid,
The infant Christ, the babe divine
Of heav’n and earth, come to our aid.
A CHAPLET OF FLOWERS.
Nature’s sweetest gift in the halls of time,
The years roll by, the seasons come and go,
And deep in our hearts doth the flowers grow.
That nurture the earth bringing forth sweet flow’rs;
How much more our lady the virgin mild,
Who gave to us Bethlehem’s holy child.
Our clear shining star over land and sea,
Like the breath of the flow’rs so pure and sweet,
Mary our mother and our queen we greet.
THIS WORLD WAR.
For pow’r to hold full sway
O’er the lives of men and nations?
Lives, nations, what care they?
Sown broadcast over this fair earth
Pride and greed caused it all,
But right, not might, will conquer yet,
For pride and greed must fall.
Is with such sinful deeds,
No, God is love, and all that’s just,
From him all good proceeds;
Peace he proclaimed, good will to men,
Is that what we see now?
Nay, rather hatred and ill will,
To gold and pow’r they bow.
Pause, think, ere ’tis too late;
For what are you but dust and clay,
Stop, think, of your sad fate;
Where is the soul God gave to you?
With avarice consumed,
Just for today; but tomorrow
What awaits thee, when doomed?
PERILS OF THE SEA.
Dark frowning clouds swept o’er the deep,
Tinging the rough foaming waters
While anxious hearts sad vigils keep.
The angry waves dashed on the shore,
As the tempest with fury howled
And moaned around each cabin door.
A beacon light flashed through the storm,
From the light house rays of guidance
Pierced the darkness to hearts forlorn.
Seemed to meet on the crested wave,
Lo! a boat with sails all shattered,
Bearing the fishermen so brave.
Seemingly clutched in their embrace,
They have weathered storm and tempest,
Now meet their loved ones face to face.
SOLDIERS OF THE REPUBLIC.
With hearts undaunted, hearts so true,
Ever faithful to God and your country,
As you sail o’er the ocean blue.
Oh fear not, you cannot falter,
While gazing on the flag that waves
In glory before God’s altar.
Lift up your hearts; men will be free
Through your endeavors, and your country’s flag
Will proclaim world democracy.
WHISPERING SHADOWS.
In the beautiful twilight hour,
O’er the sparkling fountains murmuring seas,
In the wake of each lovely flow’r,
So serenely still, and unearthly fair,
Just like the moonbeams gentle ray,
Now they glide away through the forest deep
To the mansion house old and grey.
The shadows, fleeting souls of light,
On love’s bright golden wings go whispering,
Of vice and greed, of right and might
Of the battles fought, the victories won.
The good and the ill that men do,
Then back through the twilight they softly steal
Whispering hope to me and you.
THE THISTLE AND THE SHAMROCK.
Gently swaying to and fro,
Bends low its head to Scotland
With every breeze that blow.
Within its emerald bed,
And breathes a pray’r to heaven
To renew old glories fled.
THE WORLD’S CATHEDRAL.
See the lined and masked faces floating by,
Could we know what emotions stirred their souls,
Unconquerable passions therein lie,
Smitten by swords of flame by unkind deeds,
Or may be fate’s unerring obloquy.
The august grandeur or heart rending woe,
Could we but gaze down deep into the hearts
Of the multitude passing to and fro,
Passing along like a dream or vision
From whence do they come? Oh where do they go?
FAIR COLUMBIA OR PICTURESQUE AMERICA.
Rising ’mid oceans vast and grand,
Signal tower of flashing light,
Beckoning all in freedom’s might,
O’er mountain peaks and woodland dells,
Where Nature in all beauty dwells.
In ripples flow thy babbling brooks,
Sweet music there in echo dwells,
As the bird-voiced chorus swells
Through leafy bow’rs and forest glade
’Neath spreading oak and maple shade.
Chant gladsome psalms, like sweetest trills
Of music singing through the trees,
Then dying as the wavering breeze,
Sighs where the monarchs of our land
In forests primeval stand.
In brightest colors, all aglow,
Sweet violets, roses, daisies meek,
Fair lilies floating in the creek
That curves the woodland path below,
The mountainside where laurels grow.
While laurel for thy brow we bring,
And place thereon a wreath so fair,
That nothing with it can compare,
Studded with virtues pure and bright,
Most precious gems in freedom’s light.
A WORLD STATESMAN.
Lies the world’s destiny,
Where in righteousness and freedom
Will prevail equally.
Aspirations for all,
A universal peace and trust,
In freedom’s bugle call.
The noblest of mankind,
Where honor and democracy
Together are combined.
And peace shall dawn again,
Our nation’s annals will reveal
The glory of his reign.
SPRING IS HERE.
Flowers are blooming in the vales,
In forests deep, by brook and lake,
Where soft voiced winds blow gentle gales.
And ripple in the ebbing tide,
In the bright sunshine come and go,
Sighing, then merging far and wide.
Love opens her casement to peep
At the lilac bloom nestling near,
The garden gate where trysts they keep.
Building their nests in trees o’erhead,
For the first breath of Summer’s dew,
And the lilac bloom will soon wed.
MEMORIES.
Sits by the hearth stone bright,
And seems to see with pensive glance,
In soaring flames of light
The old camp ground with tents outspread,
Where comrades good and true,
Are waiting for the bugle call,
The call they all well knew.
And smould’ring fires grow dim,
To arms, to arms, attention all,
He hears with strength and vim,
Then forward march, away they go,
The enemy to meet,
Through fire and smoke he sees them fall,
Aye, dying at his feet.
His eyes are wet with tears,
Then his dauntless spirit rises
As in the by gone years,
And a smile lights up his visage,
Old and wan though it be,
For visions of the old camp ground,
In the firelight he sees.