The herald., 1895-11-24
THE POETS SONG

The following p"em n 70 the pen OF
Father Ryan. called the Poet Priest Of the
south, Is taken from the autograph album
OF a lady from Ohio. and was written but .
few months prior to his death. On one
occasion, while mat ing a social call, he
was requested by his hostess to write q
poem in her album. He sat down and IN
the course of an nour had written, puy-ly
extsmpore. in fine, delicately traced hand
writing, the folio wing lines:
Who're do the poets hnd their song?
Anywhere and everywnere-
Der the earth an through the air
Forever. r. adler! and fore'er
Melodies. In unseen t rong,
Move mysterious along.
In virsin tones unwed to word
Pure as the breeze Ger the sleeping
grass
Cnast. as the rsys that fold the flowers
That vase ut the touch OF Nays bright
hours
Wherever the sun or the shadows pass
Moves q m usic all nnheard
5 We t. the puet's ste1 ng heart
For it's their heart-and not their ear
Tnat hear the songs ne else may hear:
Their hearts are finer than the art.
Not loud words-hut timid tones
Sad as tesrs-and soft as means
Sinking ir nj, yet sesking speech
Come within tne poet. reach.
Tor his spirits nim-lit SKY
Like a lie rt's half reathed sigh
When a cloud OF grief drifts by
Moves the WOLF, less music on
And ere all its notes are gone,
Sudden! lips aglow with hre
and lips unseen,as col as death,
Brcat upou hin-and the breath
Makes his heart living Tyre,
And suddenly the poet es-
But his words are ohly Wigs
Only wings-and not the bid
That cannot 10 cagtd in word.
just q tene-or halt tone
Ne eaiches-but the song has flown
- swift and nudaeniy away
VIII : and whhhsr? who can say?
Nor I-nor yea; bat this is tru'!-
That inst as stars givs US their light
Has act them .elves;-so in its flight
A Esng leaves mt sLadow.tone
10 marx tbs way it's wings have flown.
Be sure no SO Y comes ever back
What bird would ere YetIaee his track
To find = cage in viii b 10 pine?
Are a"t our IN mes but prison bars?
What are our SONGS but unseen stars
bssn emily by poetic eye!
A star las never worn . chain
And never earth hath heard strain
II which q song eould Ger be bound.
Fer n ind. the Aoag 10 not its sound.
Most think it s;--b,t 1t is not;
A simple trath too on forget.
Your shadow sure Is not yourself.
Your lssk 10 surely not your eyes;
How do We sec? All! who can say?
And yet the Near aud PARKWAY,
And all the wide and wonirous skies
ksst IN one poi hstween your eyes.
Howl Who K ows?-~fer every How
Has puzsled many brain and brow.
And after ali what Is wernf
A veil worn by a though t unseer--
A Thoughts thought CAL ne'er be heard
Nor ssea by any eye-l ween.
Words like shadows fall between
Tive souls whose thoughts thus try to
Each etner :ho' the wells of speech.
And sure Thoughts shadow is not
thought
1t is It's symb Dol and its sigh
Only SOUND the speaker sought,
DULY SCUM the nearer caught
An far as the farthes' st r
Is from Its CLEANS around US here,
Bill farther In our spirits are
Our thoughis from words that reach the
ehr.
So, never song has vet been aung,-
s mes this word-woill OF ours was young,
Ia any land or any pgue-
in all the fullness OF its notes.
With all its key. and chords complete
Without u break or jar or Il ".
Yet many sound our ears may moet-
Many flagme mt ronnd us g ats
sat this Is ever laetine law
re hear hut irag N eats at the best
Wiener song q es from its nest
We hear bat rusilisg of its WINGS
Hs xn US this we'll who often sings;
And if the win taat rustle So
80 sw-els in he songs sweet flight
Brea.hes for h SO many tender sound
To suetne tdis weary world II wos-
H"art-tossed by day - dream-tifed BY
mig ht-
ALL II tie song that nrd were found
Vita all It's nu is In II then
This haui ted w,rld Of restless men,
suul-toucnea, would listen-kneel and
pray,
While each t. sash wsuid ssftly say:
I'VE he. 70 d. vssss- ~ never knew
But sxt Il - 40 sweetly true
That thro' tho afeS all aieng
God wnited for the grand, full song
We hear what heaven long has neAra--
l. ~ ~ os,I 1,r nrl