MY CANARY BIRD

DID we count great, O soul, to penetrate the themes of
     mighty books,
Absorbing deep and full from thoughts, plays, speculations?
But now from thee to me, caged bird, to feel thy joyous
     warble,
Filling the air, the lonesome room, the long forenoon,
Is it not just as great, O soul?

1888 1888-9

QUERIES TO MY SEVENTIETH YEAR

APPROACHING, nearing, curious,
Thou dim, uncertain spectre — bringest thou life
     or death?
Strength, weakness, blindness, more paralysis and heavier?
Or placid skies and sun? Wilt stir the waters yet?
Or haply cut me short for good? Or leave me here as now,
Dull, parrot-like and old, with crack'd voice harping,
     screeching?

1888 1888-9

THE WALLABOUT MARTYRS

(In Brooklyn, in an old vault, mark'd by no special recognition, lie huddled at this moment the undoubtedly authentic remains of the stanchest and earliest Revolutionary patriots from the British prison ships and prisons of the times of 1776-83, in and around New York, and from all over Long Island; originally buried — many thousands of them — in trenches in the Wallabout sands.)

GREATER than memory of Achilles or Ulysses,
More, more by far to thee than tomb of Alexander,

Those cart loads of old charnel ashes, scales and splints of
     mouldy bones,
Once living men — once resolute courage, aspiration,
     strength,
The stepping stones to thee to-day and here, America.

1888 1888-
9

THE FIRST DANDELION

SIMPLE and fresh and fair from winter's close emerging,
As if no artifice of fashion, business, politics, had ever
     been,
Forth from its sunny nook of shelter'd grass —
     innocent, golden, calm as the dawn,
The spring's first dandelion shows its trustful face.

1888 1888-9

AMERICA

CENTRE of equal daughters, equal sons,
All, all alike endear'd, grown, ungrown, young or old,
Strong, ample, fair, enduring, capable, rich,
Perennial with the Earth, with Freedom, Law and Love,
A grand, sane, towering, seated Mother,
Chair'd in the adamant of Time.

1888 1888-9

MEMORIES

HOW sweet the silent backward tracings!
The wanderings as in dreams — the meditation
     of old times resumed — their loves, joys,
     persons, voyages.

1888 1888-9

TO-DAY AND THEE

THE appointed winners in a long-stretch'd game;
The course of Time and nations — Egypt,
     India, Greece and Rome;
The past entire, with all its heroes, histories, arts,
     experiments,
Its store of songs, inventions, voyages, teachers, books,
Garner'd for now and thee — To think of it!
The heirdom all converged in thee!

1888 1888-9

AFTER THE DAZZLE OF DAY

AFTER the dazzle of day is gone,
Only the dark, dark night shows to my eyes the
     stars;
After the clangor of organ majestic, or chorus,
     or perfect band,
Silent, athwart my soul, moves the symphony true.

1888
1888-9