 | The select poems of Dr. Thomas Dunn English (exclusive of the "Battle lyrics") |  |
WARD BURTON.
Lying afar in the Mexican Sea
Is a lone and desolate coral key,
Where a sparkling fountain gushes free.
Is a lone and desolate coral key,
Where a sparkling fountain gushes free.
The land lies pleasantly there and low,
But nothing upon the isle will grow;
No green herb springs by the water's flow.
But nothing upon the isle will grow;
No green herb springs by the water's flow.
110
Thither there came one summer day
One of Morgan's vessels of prey,
And furled her sails, and in silence lay.
One of Morgan's vessels of prey,
And furled her sails, and in silence lay.
She was short of water, and so to shore
Cask upon cask the long-boat bore,
And went again and came with more.
Cask upon cask the long-boat bore,
And went again and came with more.
Quiet the vessel at anchor lay,
And back and forth the livelong day
The toiling pirates made their way.
And back and forth the livelong day
The toiling pirates made their way.
One of them still remained on land—
The second he was in the lawless band,
Next to the captain in command.
The second he was in the lawless band,
Next to the captain in command.
Older in sin, though not in years,
And worse by far than his ruffian peers,
Ward Burton, of Morgan's buccaneers.
And worse by far than his ruffian peers,
Ward Burton, of Morgan's buccaneers.
He had left his home in early days,
Its fields of wheat and oats and maize,
For a life on the sea and its perillous ways.
Its fields of wheat and oats and maize,
For a life on the sea and its perillous ways.
In a whaling-ship he had made his mark,
And then in a light-heeled slaving-bark,
And then in the pirate service dark.
And then in a light-heeled slaving-bark,
And then in the pirate service dark.
Through tropical heat and tropical rain
He had sailed the sea again and again,
From the sandy keys to the Spanish Main.
He had sailed the sea again and again,
From the sandy keys to the Spanish Main.
If ever a fiend from below set free
In human shape on the earth could be,
Ward Burton, the buccaneer, was he.
In human shape on the earth could be,
Ward Burton, the buccaneer, was he.
111
For not alone did he take delight
In the bloody work of the perillous fight,
Slaying his victims left and right,
In the bloody work of the perillous fight,
Slaying his victims left and right,
But battle over, with manner grim,
He forced survivors to sink or swim
Where shark fought shark for body or limb.
He forced survivors to sink or swim
Where shark fought shark for body or limb.
A plea for mercy he met with a sneer;
The name of his Maker brought a jeer;
He scoffed at pity, he felt no fear.
The name of his Maker brought a jeer;
He scoffed at pity, he felt no fear.
And this was the man that all that day
Stretched at length by the fountain lay,
And watched the long-boat on her way.
Stretched at length by the fountain lay,
And watched the long-boat on her way.
There are brown-winged doves, with rosy feet,
And warm grey plumage, and voices sweet,
That like on these coral keys to meet.
And warm grey plumage, and voices sweet,
That like on these coral keys to meet.
These, when the pirates first drew near,
Startled by sound of curse and jeer,
Had flown away with a sudden fear.
Startled by sound of curse and jeer,
Had flown away with a sudden fear.
But presently, when the boat from shore
Tracked its path the smooth waves o'er,
The doves came back to the spring once more.
Tracked its path the smooth waves o'er,
The doves came back to the spring once more.
They noted not the form that lay
Gazing upon the shallow bay,
Too quiet to startle such as they.
Gazing upon the shallow bay,
Too quiet to startle such as they.
A careless look Ward Burton threw
At one of these doves with breast of blue,
When suddenly it began to coo.
At one of these doves with breast of blue,
When suddenly it began to coo.
112
That sound in youth he had often heard
From the throbbing throat of a plainer bird,
And the plaintive notes his spirit stirred.
From the throbbing throat of a plainer bird,
And the plaintive notes his spirit stirred.
The sea and sky began to dance
Before his eyes, and an inward glance
Pierced through his memory like a lance.
Before his eyes, and an inward glance
Pierced through his memory like a lance.
He saw the house where he was born;
He heard his father blow the horn
To call the huskers from the corn.
He heard his father blow the horn
To call the huskers from the corn.
He saw the cattle homeward go
With steady rolling step and slow,
And as they passed he heard them low.
With steady rolling step and slow,
And as they passed he heard them low.
He saw his father's furrowed face
At the table in the olden place,
And laughed to hear him utter grace.
At the table in the olden place,
And laughed to hear him utter grace.
He saw his mother in her chair;
He saw a child low kneeling there—
Himself—and heard him breathe a prayer.
He saw a child low kneeling there—
Himself—and heard him breathe a prayer.
“Our Father”—at the hallowed name
Remorse into his dark soul came,
And lit it with a melting flame.
Remorse into his dark soul came,
And lit it with a melting flame.
Conscience awoke that long had slept;
Penitence into his bosom crept,
And the bearded pirate silent wept.
Penitence into his bosom crept,
And the bearded pirate silent wept.
When the vessel touched the Spanish Main
His shipmates sought for the man in vain—
Ward Burton was not seen again.
His shipmates sought for the man in vain—
Ward Burton was not seen again.
113
Some said in a dungeon deep he lay;
Some said with a dame he fled away;
Some said he was slain in sudden fray.
Some said with a dame he fled away;
Some said he was slain in sudden fray.
But deep in the Western wilds there dwelt
One who at morn and even knelt
With a sense of guilt forever felt—
One who at morn and even knelt
With a sense of guilt forever felt—
Dwelt alone for years and years,
Now raised by hopes, now sunk by fears—
One of old Morgan's buccaneers.
Now raised by hopes, now sunk by fears—
One of old Morgan's buccaneers.
None knew from whence the hermit came,
And none discovered his race or name;
Yet his neighbors liked him all the same.
And none discovered his race or name;
Yet his neighbors liked him all the same.
Nothing to harm would he ever bring,
Brute in the forest or bird on the wing;
He was gentle to every living thing.
Brute in the forest or bird on the wing;
He was gentle to every living thing.
But they said as they laid him down to rest,
The cold clay piled on his clay-cold breast,
That he loved the doves of all things best.
The cold clay piled on his clay-cold breast,
That he loved the doves of all things best.
| The select poems of Dr. Thomas Dunn English (exclusive of the "Battle lyrics") | |