 | The complete poetical writings of J. G. Holland |  |
VERSES READ AT THE HADLEY CENTENNIAL.
(June 9, 1859.)
Heart of Hadley, slowly beating
Under midnight's azure breast,
Silence thy strong pulse repeating
Wakes me—shakes me—from my rest.
Under midnight's azure breast,
Silence thy strong pulse repeating
Wakes me—shakes me—from my rest.
Hark! a beggar at the basement!
Listen! friends are at the door!
There's a lover at the casement!
There are feet upon the floor!
Listen! friends are at the door!
There's a lover at the casement!
There are feet upon the floor!
But they knock with muffled hammers,
They step softly like the rain,
And repeat their gentle clamors
Till I sleep and dream again.
They step softly like the rain,
And repeat their gentle clamors
Till I sleep and dream again.
474
Still the knocking at the basement;
Still the rapping at the door;
Tireless lover at the casement;
Ceaseless feet upon the floor.
Still the rapping at the door;
Tireless lover at the casement;
Ceaseless feet upon the floor.
Bolts are loosed by spectral fingers,
Windows open through the gloom,
And the lilacs and syringas
Breathe their perfume through the room.
Windows open through the gloom,
And the lilacs and syringas
Breathe their perfume through the room.
'Mid the odorous pulsations
Of the air around my bed,
Throng the ghostly generations
Of the long forgotten dead.
Of the air around my bed,
Throng the ghostly generations
Of the long forgotten dead.
“Rise and write!” with gentle pleading
They command, and I obey;
And I give to you the reading
Of their tender words to-day:
They command, and I obey;
And I give to you the reading
Of their tender words to-day:
“Children of the old plantation,
Heirs of all we won and held,
Greet us in your celebration—
Us—the nameless ones of Eld!
Heirs of all we won and held,
Greet us in your celebration—
Us—the nameless ones of Eld!
“We were never squires or teachers,
We were neither wise nor great,
But we listened to our preachers,
Worshipped God and loved the State.
We were neither wise nor great,
But we listened to our preachers,
Worshipped God and loved the State.
“Blood of ours is on the meadow,
Dust of ours is in the soil,
But no marble casts a shadow
Where we slumber from our toil.
Dust of ours is in the soil,
But no marble casts a shadow
Where we slumber from our toil.
475
“Unremembered, unrecorded,
We are sleeping side by side,
And to names is now awarded
That for which the nameless died.
We are sleeping side by side,
And to names is now awarded
That for which the nameless died.
“We were men of humble station;
We were women pure and true;
And we served our generation,—
Lived and worked and fought for you.
We were women pure and true;
And we served our generation,—
Lived and worked and fought for you.
“We were maidens, we were lovers,
We were husbands, we were wives;
But oblivion's mantle covers
All the sweetness of our lives.”
We were husbands, we were wives;
But oblivion's mantle covers
All the sweetness of our lives.”
“Praise the men who ruled and led us;
Carry garlands to their graves;
But remember that your meadows
Were not planted by their slaves.
Carry garlands to their graves;
But remember that your meadows
Were not planted by their slaves.
“Children of the old plantation,
Heirs of all we won and held,
Greet us in your celebration,—
Us, the nameless ones of Eld.”
Heirs of all we won and held,
Greet us in your celebration,—
Us, the nameless ones of Eld.”
This their message, and I send it,
Faithful to their sweet behest,
And my toast shall e'en attend it,
To be read among the rest.
Faithful to their sweet behest,
And my toast shall e'en attend it,
To be read among the rest.
Fill to all the brave and blameless
Who, forgotten, passed away!
Drink the memory of the nameless,—
Only named in heaven to-day!
Who, forgotten, passed away!
Drink the memory of the nameless,—
Only named in heaven to-day!
| The complete poetical writings of J. G. Holland | |