Poetry

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2671, 24 August 1889, Page 5 (Supplement)

Poetry

AFTER ALL. The apples are ripe in the orchard, Tho work of the reaper is dune, And tho poldon woodlands redden In tho blood of the dying sun. At the cottage dnnr the grandsire Sits, pale, in his easy chair, While ii gentlo wind of twilight Plays with his silvor hair. A woman is kneeling beside him ; A fair young head is prest, In the first wild pas-sum, of sorrow, Against his aged breast. And far from over the distance The faltering echoes como Of the flying blast of trumpet And tho rattling roll of drum. Tlie.n tho grandsire speaks, in a whisper,— " The end no man can see; But we give him to his country, And we give our prayers to Thee." The violets star tho meadows, The rosebuds fringe the door, And over the grassy orchard The pink-white blossmns pour. But tho grandsiro's chair is empty, The cottage is dark and still, There's a nameless grave in the battlefield, And a new one under the hill. And a pallid, tearless woman By the cold hearth sits alone ; And tho old clock in the corner Ticks on with a steady drone. "SHALL THIRST AGAIN." St. John iv., 13. Tho earth on which we live hath wondrous storo To captive lead each loving, human heart ; A thousand treasure?, infinitely more Than in a, lifo's short span can fill each part, Yet still we're haunted by this sad refraiD, •'Shall thirst again." Each joy which greets us unexpectedly, Pouring upon uh rays of warmest light, And maping life one long, glad holiday, Bo that all shadows vanish out of sight, Is but the prelude of this sad refrain, " Shall thirst again." Sweet sympathies with kindred souls are ours. A subtle, near communion links our life With other-', who be.-ado us, for long hours, Keep sharing with us all tho toil and strife — Beyond this friendship, comes the sad refrain. " Shall thirst again." Wo twine some tendrils of absorbing lovo Hound some, fair treasure we havo mado our own, Until it leaves us for the Homo above, And we are left so drearily alone, In speechless woe to hear this sad refrain, ''Shall thirst again." Eacli flow'r wo cherish in it's beauty's prido Itej'iict'.s us but for ono little day ; It's perfect loveliness will not abide, It bears within it seeds of slow decay ; Our tending finish'd, wp, in ponsive pain; ''Shall third iigain." If wo possessed our dearest, heart's desire, And day by day its pow'r cnthraU'd us more, Till in this life wo quite forgot tho " Higher," Which will endure for over, ever more, Our rapture c.mld out still this sad refrain, " Shall thirst again." Those woids were said by Ono Who knows us well, Our needs, our sorrows, and our vain delight ; Our yearnings, and the hopes wo dare not toll To ought but God, while kneeling in His sight— He said them for our profit, not our pain, " Shall thirst again." For we are gifted with immortal breath, And aspirations high as Heaven itself; And earthly things bearing the stamp of death Would only make us feel the more bereft If we should fail to hear Christ's true refrain, "Shall thirst again." He is the Living Water, gladly 110 To us, who would assuage our ceaseless thirst, Will freely give, and only then shall we Love Him alone, who ever lov'd us first, And fully satisfied, in joy or pain, " Shall never thirst again." —Elvika A. STAKXAni).