Bees in Amber | Page 5

the Silver Sea,?With the rainbow kiss of the Silver Sea,--?Pearl of the Silver Sea!
And oh the sight,--the wonderful sight,?When calm and white, in the mystic light?Of her quivering pathway, broad and bright,?The Queen of the Night, in silver dight,?Sails over the Silver Sea!
Wherever I go, and wherever I be,?The joy and the longing are there with me,--?The gleam and the glamour come back to me,--?In a mystical rapture there comes to me,?The call of the Silver Sea!?As needle to pole is my heart to thee,?Pearl of the Silver Sea!
E.A., Nov. 6, 1900
Bright stars of Faith and Hope, her eyes
Shall shine for us through all the years.?For all her life was Love, and fears?Touch not the love that never dies.
And Death itself, to her, was but
The wider opening of the door?That had been opening, more and more,?Through all her life, and ne'er was shut.
--And never shall be shut. She left
The door ajar for you and me,?And, looking after her, we see?The glory shining through the cleft.
And when our own time comes,--again
We'll meet her face to face;--again?Well see the star-shine; and again?She'll greet us with her soft, "Come ben!"
THE PASSING OF THE QUEEN
_Hark! The drums! Muffled drums!?The long low ruffle of the drums_!--?And every head is bowed,?In the vast expectant crowd,?As the Great Queen comes,--?By the way she knew so well,?Where our cheers were wont to swell,?As we tried in vain to tell?Of our love unspeakable.?Now she comes?To the rolling of the drums,?And the slow sad tolling of the bell.?Let every head be bowed,?In the silent waiting crowd,?As the Great Queen comes,?To the slow sad ruffle of the drums!
_Who is this that comes,?To the rolling of the drums,?In the sorrowful great silence of the peoples_??Take heart of grace,?She is not here!?The Great Queen is not here!?What most in her we did revere,--?The lofty spirit, white and clear,?The tender love that knew no fear,?The soul sincere,--?These come not here,?To the rolling of the drums,?In the silence and the sorrow of the peoples.
_Death has but little part?In her. Love cannot die.?Who reigns in every heart?Hath immortality_.?So, though our heads are bent,?Our hearts are jubilant,?As she comes,--?As a conqueror she comes--?With the rolling of the drums,?To the stateliest of her homes,?In the hearts of her true and faithful peoples.?_For the Great Queen lives for ever?In the hearts of those who love her.?January, 1901_.
THE GOLDEN CORD
Through every minute of this day,
Be with me, Lord!?Through every day of all this week,
Be with me, Lord!?Through every week of all this year,
Be with me, Lord!?Through all the years of all this life,
Be with me, Lord!?So shall the days and weeks and years?Be threaded on a golden cord,?And all draw on with sweet accord?Unto Thy fulness, Lord,?That so, when time is past,?By Grace, I may at last,
Be with Thee, Lord.
THANK GOD FOR PEACE!?JUNE, 1902
Thank God for Peace!?Up to the sombre sky?Rolled one great thankful sigh,?Rolled one great gladsome cry--?The soul's deliverance of a mighty people.
Thank God for Peace!
The long-low-hanging war-cloud rolled away,?And night glowed brighter than the brightest day.?For Peace is Light,?And War is grimmer than the Night.
Thank God for Peace!?Great ocean, was your mighty calm unstirred?As through your depths, unseen, unheard,?Sped on its way the glorious word?That called a weary nation to ungird,?And sheathed once more the keen, reluctant sword?
Thank God for Peace!?The word came to us as we knelt in prayer?That wars might cease.?Peace found us on our knees, and prayer for Peace?Was changed to prayer of deepest thankfulness.?We knelt in War, we rose in Peace to bless?Thy grace, Thy care, Thy tenderness.
Thank God for Peace!?No matter now the rights and wrongs of it;?You fought us bravely, and we fought you fair.?The fight is done. Grip hands! No malice bear!?We greet you, brothers, to the nobler strife?Of building up the newer, larger life!
Join hands! Join hands! Ye nations of the stock!?And make henceforth a mighty Trust for Peace.?A great enduring peace that shall withstand?The shocks of time and circumstance; and every land?Shall rise and bless you--and shall never cease?To bless you--for that glorious gift of Peace.
GOD'S HANDWRITING
He writes in characters too grand?For our short sight to understand;?We catch but broken strokes, and try?To fathom all the mystery?Of withered hopes, of death, of life,?The endless war, the useless strife,--?But there, with larger, clearer sight,?We shall see this--His way was right.
STEPHEN--SAUL
Stephen, who died while I stood by consenting,?Wrought in his death the making of a life,?Bruised one hard heart to thought of swift repenting,?Fitted one fighter for a nobler strife.
Stephen, the Saint, triumphant and forgiving,?Prayed while the hot blows beat him to the earth.?Was that a dying? Rather was it living!--?Through his soul's travail my soul came to birth.
Stephen, the Martyr, full of faith and fearless,?Smiled when his bruised lips could no longer pray,--?Smiled with a courage undismayed and peerless,--?Smiled!--and that smile is with me, night and day.
O, was it