Poetry.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 2793, 7 June 1890, Page 5 (Supplement)

Poetry.

CLEAKED.

[the following splendid poem teccntly appeared i-.i the Scots Obsurvor. It is not alone remarkable for its stirring political significance, hut its literary power will be at once recognised, and wo vjntnre to think that if it is not from the pen of Mr Alfred Austin it is undoubtedly the work of no less inferior genius.—Eu. I.h.ri.J Help for a patriot distressed, a spotless spirit hurt, , , Help for an honourable clan sore trampled iu the dirt! From Queenstown Bay to Donegal, U listen to my song, Tha honourable gentlemen have suffered previous wrong. Their noble names wore mentioned—O tho burning black disgrace !— By a brutal Saxon paper in an Irish shooting case; , They sat upon it for a year, then steeled their hearts to hrave it, And " confiscating innocence the learned judges gavo it. Bear witness, Heaven, of that gviin ciimo f done by the surgeon's knife, The honourable gentlemen deplored the loss of life; , . Bear witness of those chanting choirs that burk and shirk and snigger, No man laid hand upon tho knifo or nuger to the trigger. Cleared in the face of all mankind beneath the wiuking skies, Like phionixes from I'hcwiix Turk lana what lay there) they vise ! Go shout it'to the emerald seas—give word to Erin now, Tho honourable gentlemen aro cleared—ana this is how : They only paid tho Moonlighter hi* cattlehocking prico, . They only holpod the murderer with their very best advice; But—and it keeps their honor white-tno learned Court bolievas They never gavo a piece of plate to murderers and thieves. They never told the ramping crowd to curd a woman's hide, They never marked a man for death—what fault of theirs he died?— They only said, " intimidate, and talked and went away— By God, tho "bhoys" that did tho work were braver men than they ! Thoir sin it was that fed the fire—small blame to them that heard — The " bhoys " got drunk on rhetoric, .and madden at a word— They knew whom they were talking at, if thev were Irish tao, The gentlemen that lied in Court, they knew; and well they knew. They only took the Judas-gold from Fenians out of gaol, They only fiwced for dollars on the blooddyed Clan na-Gael. If black is black, or white is white, in black and white it's down, They're only traitors to the Queen, and rebels to tho Crown. "Cleared," honourable gentlemen. Be thankful it's no more ; The widow's curse is on your house, the dead are at your door. On you tho shamo of open shame, on you from North to South The hand of every honest man flat-heeled against your mouth. " Less black than we are painted!"—l'aith no word of black was said, Tho lightest touch was human blood, and that, you know, runs red. It's sticking to your fist to-day for all you sneer and scolf, And by the Judge's well-weighed word you cannot wipe it off. Hold up, those hands of innocence—go, .scare your sheep together, The blundering, tripping tups that bleat behind the old bell-wether; And if they snulf the taiut aud break to find another pen. Tell them it's tar that glistens so, and daub them yours again ! " Tho charge is old ?"—As old as Cain— as fresh as yesterday ; Old as the Ten Commandments, have ye talked those laws away? If. words aro words, or death is death, or powder sends the ball, You spoke the words that sped tho shot— the brand is on you all. ' Our friends beliove ?' Of course they do —as sheltered women may ; But have they seen the shrioking soul ripped from the quivering ch'.y? They !—lf their own front dour is shut, thoy'll swear the whole world's warm ; What do they know of droad of death or hanging fear o[ harm ? The secret half a country keeps, the whi-.-i>er in tho lane, The shriek that tells the shot went home behind the broken pane, The dry blood crisping in Uio sun that scares the honest bees. And shows the 'bhoys' have heard your talk —what do they know of these '.' JJufc you—you know—aye, ten time.-; more, tho secrets of the dead, Black terror on the country-side by word and whisper bred, The mangled stallion's scream at night, the tail-cropped heifer's low. Who set the whisper going first? You know, and well you know ! My soul! I'd sooner lie in gaol for mnrr'er plain and straight, l'ure crime I'd done with my uwn hand for money, lust, or hate. Then take a seat in Parliament by fellowfelons cheered, While one of thoso ' not provens ' proved me cleared as you are cleared. Cleared—you that lost the League accounts —go, guard our fionour still, Go, help to make our country's laws that broke God's law at willOne hand stuck out behind the back, to signal ' strike again ;' The other ou your dress-shirt-front to ehow your heart is clean. If black is black or white i 3 white, in black and white it's down, You're only trsitors to the Queen and rebels to the Crown. If print is print, or words are words, the learned Court perpends: We are not ruled by murderers, but only— by their friends.