TO THE CAGED EAGLE.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 238, 6 April 1866, Page 3

TO THE CAGED EAGLE.

Coldly and dimly the sunlight falls On thy dark and -wearisome prison walls ; And yearning for the deep blue afar — Thine eyes -would pierce through each iron bar, Like fading stars midst the silent gloom That wrappeth for ever thy living tomb — Yet eagle of regal birth thou art, ; Of tameless wing and of dauntless heart, i Not thus —not thus —would I gaze on thee, Thou roamer of heaven's depths bold and free ; But away from the dwellings of men, oh bird! Where the shout of the mountain stream is heard Where the billow lasheth beneath the steep, "Where the storm in its wildest mood doth sweep And the crag by the thunder-cloud is kissed, That cradled thy young in its snow andmist: And where the noontide's uncheckered beam From the golden pinion might flash and stream While threading the vaults of the burnished skj With thy fearless breast and thy quenchless eye Oh! were it but mine to unclasp thy chain, I would send thee free to thy cliffs again. How long, poor one, did thy anxious mate For thy glad returning watch and wait — Still deeming the twilight hours might bring Thee back to her side on thy faithful wing; O! ore to the frailest hope will cling, loael captive, never again on thee Shall dawn the rock by the whitening sea, Where the glorious prime of thy youth was passed, Where gazed thine eyes on thy children last. Long, long shalt thou wearily yearn and mournTo thy home and thy love thou shalt never return. Beth. Invercargill. [At the request of the writer we republish this poem. When it first ap2Jeared the typographical errors were numerous, and must have been manifest to the readers. Our fair correspondent naturally felt hurt at the hash which was made of her effusion; and, in Justice to ' Beth,' we now nsert it in a corrected orm. —Ed. W. T.~] ♦