 | Miami Woods : a golden wedding and other poems |  |
186
The Laborer.
Stand up—erect! Thou hast the form
And likeness of thy God!—who more?
A soul as dauntless 'mid the storm
Of daily life, a heart as warm
And pure as breast e'er bore.
And likeness of thy God!—who more?
A soul as dauntless 'mid the storm
Of daily life, a heart as warm
And pure as breast e'er bore.
What then?—Thou art as true a MAN
As moves the human mass among;
As much a part of the Great Plan
That with Creation's dawn began,
As any of the throng.
As moves the human mass among;
As much a part of the Great Plan
That with Creation's dawn began,
As any of the throng.
Who is thine enemy?—the high
In station, or in wealth the chief?
The great, who coldly pass thee by,
With proud step and averted eye?
Nay! nurse not such belief.
In station, or in wealth the chief?
The great, who coldly pass thee by,
With proud step and averted eye?
Nay! nurse not such belief.
If true unto thyself thou wast,
What were the proud one's scorn to thee?
A feather, which thou mightest cast
Aside, as idly as the blast
The light leaf from the tree.
What were the proud one's scorn to thee?
A feather, which thou mightest cast
Aside, as idly as the blast
The light leaf from the tree.
187
No:—uncurbed passions—low desires—
Absence of noble self-respect—
Death, in the breast's consuming fires,
To that high nature which aspires
Forever, till thus checked:
Absence of noble self-respect—
Death, in the breast's consuming fires,
To that high nature which aspires
Forever, till thus checked:
These are thine enemies—thy worst;
They chain thee to thy lowly lot—
Thy labor and thy life accurst.
Oh, stand erect! and from them burst,
And longer suffer not!
They chain thee to thy lowly lot—
Thy labor and thy life accurst.
Oh, stand erect! and from them burst,
And longer suffer not!
Thou art thyself thine enemy!
The great!—what better they than thou?
As theirs, is not thy will as free?
Has God with equal favors thee
Neglected to endow?
The great!—what better they than thou?
As theirs, is not thy will as free?
Has God with equal favors thee
Neglected to endow?
True, wealth thou hast not: 't is but dust!
Nor place, uncertain as the wind!
But that thou hast which, with thy crust
And water, may despise the lust
Of both—a noble mind.
Nor place, uncertain as the wind!
But that thou hast which, with thy crust
And water, may despise the lust
Of both—a noble mind.
With this, and passions under ban,
True faith, and holy trust in God,
Thou art the peer of any man.
Look up, then—that thy little span
Of life may be well trod!
True faith, and holy trust in God,
Thou art the peer of any man.
Look up, then—that thy little span
Of life may be well trod!
| Miami Woods : a golden wedding and other poems | |