Michael Earls

“ In a little ship and down the bay, Out to the calling sea, A young brave lad sailed off today, To the one great war went he: The one long war all men must know Greater than land or gold, Soul is the prince and flesh the foe Of a kingdom Christ will hold. ”

“ Valor to our hope is bound, Songs of courage loud resound, Vowed is Spring to win her ground Through all our northern country, From Oregon to Maine. All our loyal brave allies In the Southlands mobilize, Faith is sworn to our emprise, The scouting breezes whisper That help is sure today: Vanguards of the springtime rains Cannonade the hills and plains, Freeing them from Winter's chains, So birds and buds may flourish Around the throne of May. ”

“ The grace of God that brings no ruth For them who find the spring. There is a land, there is a May Beyond the graveyard tree; Ten thousand years are like a day Of a youth that we shall see: Our young hearts pass the graveyard tree To a land forever in May. ”

“ Birds are merry and the buds Come along with May: Lonely is the linden land For lads that went today. What calls the May of song But the fair young spring? Heard our boys another tune Sterner voices sing. Bugles blew by land and sea, And the tocsin drum; See, brave hearts go down the hill, Shouting, "Hail, we come." From the towers that show the Cross, Staunch the Flag waved out, And the royal Purple shook Joyous with the shout. ”

“ Faith, and near the mountains and the sunny lakes and brooks it is, Like the olden seanichies, the pair of us belong. Far and broad our journeyin', up and down the land we go, Today among the mountains and tomorrow by the sea; Pleasant are the roads with us, and to a welcome grand we go, Erin wins the heart of you, whoever you may be. Erin's heart will capture you, if you will but listen now, Great she was afore the Danes and all her Saxon foes, After that the sorrows came, sure your eyes will glisten now, Up, my lad, and sing for them "The Dark Little Rose." ”

“ Sometimes behind a fortress bench, Or where the hedges make a trench, I beat the drum with all my might, While people look with awful fright, Just as they would if war had come, And heard the warning of my drum. They must be thankful, I am sure, Because they now may feel secure, And rest so safe and sound in bed, Without wild dreams of fearful dread ”

“ Flag and heart that keep Him fear not shot and flame, (Strengthen, Jesu, all who stand, calling Thy name) . * * * Ye who guard a nation's call And speed to arms therefor, Ye who pray for brave lads gone To perils of the war; Soldiers of the fleet and fort And mothers of our men, In the shadow of the Cross Shall we find peace again.
TO ONE IN SUCCESS A world's new faces greet you, Ten thousand quick with praise, But truer stay to meet you Old friends and other days: Let fickle changes hurt you, (The new go quick apart) One fame shall ne'er desert you In true hearts like this heart. ”

“ Yet ever here, For all of time's prompt fickleness— From plenteous June and wide largess Of full midsummer days, To dwarf December pitiless Amid the earth's uncomplimented ways— Yea, constant through the changeful year, This queenly Height commands our praise. To stand in meek unflinching hardihood When fortune blows its storm of fright, And work to full effect that good Resolved in open days of clearer sight— O, this is worth! That daily sees the soul To braver liberties give birth, That heeds not time's annoy, And hears surrounding voices roll Perennial circumstance of joy. ”

“ Christ with the brave young lad to-day Who goes to the sweet command, Strengthen his heart wherever the way, Whether he march or stand: And whether he die in a peaceful cell, Or alone in the lonely night, The Cross of Christ shall keep him well, And be his death's delight. ”

“ And through leagues of window, youthful play could see We were friends to be for evermore. So we passed the hamlets, passed the miles of night In a fairyland of silent games, Till the travel ended in the Worcester light,— Yet we parted, strangers in our names. But a fortnight later, by an autumn tree, Aileen and her brother came my way, And another, glad to tell the names of them and me, And to hear how travellers can play. Life is but a journey, say we evermore, Passing lights the years have, like a train; Three good friends will travel up to heaven's door, With the world a merry window-pane. ”

“ When May has spent its little song, And richer comes the June, Through former eyes the heart will long For May again in tune; Though large with promise hope may be, By future visions cast, Our memoried thoughts will yearn to see The happy little past. ”

“ And richer than rose or lily Is the flower he wears today, With triune bloom and fragrance From earth to heaven alway. Poverty is the low leaf, And one is chastely white, And the red love of obedience Goes up to God a light. Grow, good flower, and keep him Who wears your bloom today, Shadow and sunshine bless him, And the trefoil's heavenward way. ”

“ Till we turn when night comes down alleys of the moon. Yea, with laughter in our sails and our hearts a book of tales, Down the silver roadways, a homeward hymn we say:— Praise the Lord ye great and small, flower and weed majestical, For pleasant seas that God gave adventurers today.
THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH (For Osceola and Pocahontas) Was it a hundred years ago, Or was it but yesterday, When we found the roads that grow Blossom and song of May? ”

“ But a Munster man at each day's close Built in the tree his hope's rainbows, And saw his dreams come true. The years have thickened the darkened air, But the tree is still on guard: It comforts the young Italian there, Who sees the future blossoming fair From the tree in the tenement yard. ”

“ We must sail the seas of grass, round the isles of clover pass, And delve in leagues of shadowland, when clouds come along. Caves are walled with treasure trove, rich as any south-sea cove, Bullion of the meadow where the gold sun flows; Round the reefs of mignonette, up the waves of violet, Fragrant go our sails and spars with attar of the rose. On, gay adventurers, bravely ride the billowy furze, Golden foil and dewy pearls are swaying to a tune: Quaff the brew of red raspberry through the vine veils gossamery. ”

“ All the lights but only one die out when summer goes, One that Tip O'Leary keeps is brighter than the rose, Through the window comes the bloom on any winter night, And every sense goes wild to it, soft and sweet and bright. Lamps are fair that have the light from flowers all day long, When the birds are here and sing the Tip O'Leary song, But a winter window is the fairest rose of all, When Tip O'Leary's hearth is lit and lamps upon the wall. ”

“ THE LIFELONG WAR Still goes the strife; the anguish does not die. Stronger the flesh is grown from earthy years, In siege about my soul that upward peers To see and hold its Good. The spirit's eye Approves the better things ”

“ Tim of the Tales, the folk say, Is known the world around, For children by taking his stories To their homes in foreign ground. I pity my brother his fortunes, And how he sits alone, With the money that keeps his body, But leaves his heart a stone. ”

“ When the dreamy night is on, up the Hudson river, And the sheen of modern taste is dim and far away, Ghostly men on phantom rafts make the waters shiver, Laughing in the sibilance of the silver spray. Yea, and up the woodlands, staunch in moonlit weather, Go the ghostly horsemen, adventuresome to ride, White as mist the doublet-braize, bandolier and feather, Fleet as gallant Robin Hood in an eventide. ”

“ Say, No! but death will meet his men, Onward if moves the line: He dares not hurry to Beauregard, Not knowing the countersign. Flashed in the sun his waving sword; "Who rides for me?" he cried, "And ask of the Chief the countersign, Upon a daring ride; Though never the lad come back again With the good that will betide. "I will send a letter to Beauregard," The Colonel slowly said; "The bearer dies at the pickets' line, But the letter shall be read When the pickets find it for the Chief, In the brave hand of the dead." ”

“ They cannot smile athwart a cloud, When black thoughts lead astray; They cannot add a simple sum, But talk like drunken men, And shut their eyes to keep out God When spring comes in again. Far simpler than the Rule of Three Are the laws of earth and sky; Yet fools will muddle all true thought, And pride will have its cry ”

“ Sullen are the battered looks, cheerless talk or tipsy, Sickly in the smoky air, starving in the day, Pining for a city's noise at Kingston or Po'keepsie, Eager more for Gotham and a great White Way. Rich is all the countryside, but glory has departed, What if yachts and mansions be, by the river's marge! ”

“ Silken styles are tyrants, fashion kills the playtime, Robs the heart of largess that is kindly to the poor, Richer were the freemen, welcome as the Maytime, Glad was boy or maiden, seeing Brennan of the moor. ”

“ It's sense to do your turn o' work, it's healthy to be wise, An' have the little crock o' gold agin the day o' rain; But whin the ground is heaviest, your heart will feel the skies, If you know a little Irish song to lift the road o' pain. The learnin' an' the wealth we have are never sad an' gray with us, The dullest times in all the year are merry as the June: For we've the heart to up an' sing "Arise, an' come away with us," The way my father gave it, an' we laughin' in the tune. ”

“ MY FATHER'S TUNES My father had the gay good tunes, the like you'd seldom hear, A whole day could he whistle them, an' thin he'd up an' sing, The merry tunes an' twists o'them that suited all the year, An' you wouldn't ask but listen if yourself stood there a king. ”

“ An' what's the good o' foolish tunes, the moilin' folks 'ud say, It's better teach the children work an' get the crock o' gold; Thin sorra take their wisdom whin it makes them sad an' gray,— A man is fitter have a song that never lets him old. ”