The Project Gutenberg eBook of Songs for All Seasons, and Other Poems
Title: Songs for All Seasons, and Other Poems
Author: Cora C. Bass
Release date: May 21, 2016 [eBook #52115]
Most recently updated: October 23, 2024
Language: English
Credits: Produced by Larry B. Harrison, Chuck Greif and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This
file was produced from images generously made available
by The Internet Archive)
and
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May the fairest gifts attend thee till the day of time is done.
Flow thy lives as smoothly as the tide of Heavenly love,
And sweetest songs be given to the King of Kings above.
————
By
————
Lowell, Mass.
The Lawler Printing Company.
1901.
Copyright by
CORA C. BASS,
1901.
PREFACE.
Thanks are due to The New York Observer, Zion’s Herald, The Standard, Boston Transcript, Portland Transcript, New England Home Magazine and others.
I would also take this opportunity of expressing my gratitude to the many friends who gave so kindly a welcome to my first book of poems.
CORA C. BASS.
CONTENTS
Songs for All Seasons.
SONGS FOR ALL SEASONS.
And grateful they are to the ear;
The rhythmical ring of each measure
As the voice of the wood-thrush is clear.
We hear the first note of the springtime,
And quickly our hearts are attune
With melodies pulsing around us,
Till Winter, himself, is as June.
The harmonies borne on the breeze.
We love the deep tones of the billows,
The brisk, busy, hum of the bees.
The harvesting songs they are pleasant,
The scent of the harvest, how sweet!
Yet never a song of the seasons
With winter’s own song can compete.
BRAVELY DO AND BRAVELY BEAR.
Whatever God may send,
Well knowing He will ease my care
And His true child defend.
I will bravely do and bravely bear,
Yea, strive to do my best,
Whether the way be dark or fair,
And leave to Him the rest.
THE WAVES OF CHANCE.
Uncertain what to do,
We sail the sea of circumstance
A voyage ever new.
The beacon light too often hid,
On which we could rely,
Can Hope betray us? God forbid!
The haven still is nigh.
Without the compass—choice,
Neglecting when we should advance
The one directing voice;
Bewildered by the blinding spray
We fail to count the cost,
And court the dangers of delay
When reckonings are lost.
Rejecting what is best,
We scan the billows’ wild expanse
An eager, ceaseless quest.
The faithful pilot we have missed,
No fault of his, our own;
It means destruction to desist,—
We battle on alone.
Not knowing where to land,
We need a keen, unerring glance,
A firm, a steadfast hand.
The ship of life triumphant glides
Past doubt’s delusive reef,
And joyfully at anchor rides
In yon fair bay—Belief.
PRECIOUS SEED.
How barren all the land would be,
North and south and east and west,
Never plenty, never rest;
For a harvest rich and free,
Vain to plead.
To seek the motive power of life;
Free to sow, to garner in,
Love its sure reward will win.
Undismayed by doubt or strife,
Work away.
In winter as in summer time;
By pleasure’s side, on sorrow’s brink,
His life chain forging link by link;
Easy it would be to climb,
Doing good.