The Mother's Dream, and Other PoemsGould, Hannah Flagg
General
The Mother's Dream, and Other Poems
Gould, Hannah Flagg
American poetry -- 19th century
Field of wheat, so full and fair,
Shining, with thy sunny hair
Lightly waving either way,
Graceful as the breezes play--
Looking like a summer sea;
How I love to gaze at thee!
Pleasant art thou to the sight;
And to thought a rich delight.
Then, thy voice is music sweet,
Softly sighing field of wheat.
Pointing upward to the sky,
Rising straight, and aiming high,
Every stalk is seen to shoot
As an arrow, from the root.
Like a well-trained company,
All in uniform agree,
From the footing to the ear;
All in order strict appear.
Marshalled by a skilful hand,
All together bow, or stand
Still, within the proper bound:
None o'ersteps the given ground,
With its tribute held to pay,
At his nod whom they obey,
Each the gems, that stud its crown,
Will ere long, for man, lay down.
Thou with promise art replete
Of the precious sheaves of wheat.
How thy strength in weakness lies!
Not a robber bird, that flies,
Finds support whereby to put
On a stalk her lawless foot.
Not a predatory beak
Plunges down, thy stores to seek,
Where the guard of silver spears
Keeps the fruit, and decks the ears.
No vain insect, that could do
Harm to thee, dares venture through
Such an armory, or eat
Off the sheath to take the wheat.
What a study do we find
Opened here for eye and mind!
In it who can offer less,
Than to wonder, and confess,
That on this high-favored ground,
Faith is blest, and hope is crowned.
Charity her arms may spread
Wide from it, with gifts of bread.
Wisdom, power, and goodness meet
In the bounteous field of wheat.
THE LITTLE TRAVELLER.
I am the tiniest child of earth,
But still, I would like to be known to fame,
Though next to nothing I had my birth,
And lowest of all is my lowly name.
Yet, if so humble my native place,
I this can say, in family pride,
That I 'm of the world's most numerous race,
And made by the Maker of all beside.
Although I 'm so poor, I have nought to lose;
Still I 'm so little I can't be lost:
I journey about wherever I choose,
And those, who carry me, bear the cost.
The most forgiving of earthly things,
I often cling to my deadly foe;
And, spite of the cruelest flirts and flings,
Arise by the force that has cast me low.
When beauty has trodden me under foot,
I 've quietly risen her face to seek,
Embraced her forehead, or calmly put
Myself to rest in her dimpled cheek.
I 've ridden to war on the soldier's plume;
But startled, and sprung at the wild affray,
The sights of horror, of fire and fume,
And fled on the wing of the winds away.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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