The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1886-02-13
19e DoqaldsoQyiHe clieG
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<AfokAbS'Ss
Thou art lord Of all peoples and nations
And hunbiy they bow at thy thrine;.
Thou art despot of all deeOIatlons,
h. And all the worlds despots are thine.
All ages, all creeGs all conditions.
Supinely must sink to thy sway
With an imbecile, Abject submission
Grim god OF the kingdom-Decay
There is never a glory that flashes,
But is ruined and rots in thy rust;,
The worlds vail is, ashes to ashes
Its heart CRY is. dust unto dust.
All things that we prize we surrender;
= The gems Of the past and to-day,
The pride Ut our LIE and its splendor,
Slow menlderins into-Decay.
We are sore with the fret and the fever;
We wander bewiIdered and blind
But calmly tho9 Watch che, !, for eyer Grind
Gannt wheels with their diree-like informing.
That are wearing the old world away.
An mournful, monOtonous dronlDg-
The mill stones of Dust and Decay. ..
Thy face that is shrnnken and shrivelsd
Shows out like famine In stone;
And thy cynical curses are drIyeled
i, From lips that are misery own.
: Thy forehead is lurid in pallOr,
Thy locks are disheveled and gray. 4,
Aid thy vestments still reek with the squalol
That reigns in thy kingdom-Decay.
But thy eyes that are bitter and burning,
Like the red Eine Of the lees,
Ind thy narneless expression returning
Our gaze, seems to fire us and freeze.
They are hateful. and fell: and abysmai,
= Our golden gods crumble to clay
Before them-7dull. dreary and dismal.
Dissolving to Death and Decay.
On graves that are sunken and sodden
Ia planted thy Pompeian throne;
On Bhule that arb tortured and trodden.
i On hearth thpt are turning to stone,
1r rested thy merciless pinion,
6corched wings that are gray
Deep laid b thy duSky dominion
In the blackened hre-crypts of Decay
There the 6fes never fail fog our crying
Thy furnace flames SCOT at our fears
They can never be stayed by our signing.
They are not 70 be auenched by our tears.
While our jewels melt down into cinders,
And our idols dissolve into clay,
We are helpless-defenseless -naught binders
The oncOming doom of Decay.
Dost thou sneer at love .roees and laurels7
= Dost question What is your Fame?
Dost thou smile u our minds and our raor.
And ask, Which is Honor-or Shame?"
Dost mutter, What matter if euerdons
Or crosses your strivings shall pay?
1t You carry hfe's crown, or itsburdenH.
When both shall be swept to Decay?''
And why do you scorn to be carried =
= To rot with the pauper-unless
You hope that your sins shall be buried
In your grand mausoleum-Success!"
The satire is bitter and biting
That turks in this innocent way
OF cloudinE quick lives with the blighting
And mould Of thy kingdom-Decay!
Thou art caustic and cold, and chaotic. .
Thy calmness SCOTS at US in scorn;
And thy cruel command is despotic-
To dust with all things that are born!"
As dust then we drift down the current
., OF winds that are wandering for aye,
For thou sgnest of all. the death warrant
Infexible doom Of Decay!
All joys that the spirit remembers,
al loves. all beliefs. all desires.
Fall away into edfe. dead embers,
Burnt ont in the fiercest of fires, .
Thou art lord Of all peop:aa and a1atio1.r.
Supinely we sink to thy sway: 49,
Thou art despot of all desolations-
: Grim god of the kingdom-Decay!