The gold leaf., 1899-09-14
uAT'I'ERAS.
BY JOSEPH W. HOLDEN.


The Wind King from the North came down
Nor stopped by liver, mount Or town;
But Like a bOisterous god at play,
es1stle>,. bounding on his way,
lie shook the lake and tore the wood,
ANA Happ"l hi, wings in merry mood;
Nor furl-d the II till he sped afar.
IN" VII 'sp, flash on Hatteras Bar,
Nn - toice At. ...ntic Ian niwa ri bowls,
Ool ueacherous sands and hidden shoal Is.
He paused, then wreathed his horn Of cloud
And blew defiance long and loud
Come up, come up. thou torrid god
That Iulest the Southern sea-
Ho. lightning eyed and thunder shod
Come, wreStle here with me.
As tossest thou the tangled cane,
| IL hurl thee DER the boiling main
The angry heavens hung dark and still,
Like Arctic night on Helca's hill:
The mermaids sporting on the waves,
Affrighted, fled to coral caves
| The billOw checked its curling crest;
And trembling, sank to sudden rest
All ocean stilled its heaving breast.
Reflected darkness weird and dread,
An inkv plain the waters spread
50 motiOnless, since life was fled.
Amid this elemental lull,
When nature died, and death lay dull
As though itself was sleeping there
Beca lined upon that dismal flood
len lated vessels IDLY stood,
And not a timber creaked!
Dim silence held each hollow hull,
Save when some sailor in that night,
Oppressed with darkness and despair;
Some seaman, cropping tor the light,
Rose up and shlieked!
They cried like children lost and lorn,
Lord deliver while you may;
Sweet Jesus, drive this gloom away!
Forever fed, 0 lovely day!
l would that | were never born.
For stOutest souls were terror thrilled,
And WarmeSt hearts with horror chilled.
Come up come up, thou torrid god,
Thou lightningeyed and thunder-shod,
And wrestle here with me! -
Twas heard and answered: 'LO come
from azure Carribee,
To drive thee covering to thy home
And melt its wall Of frozen foam
From every isle and mountain dell.
From plains Of painless chapparel;
From tide-built bars where sea-birds
dwell,
He drew his lurid legions forth,
And sprang to meat the white-plumed
North.
Can mortal tongue in song convey
| The fury OF that fatal fray?
How ships were splintered at blow,
| Sails shivered into smeds OF snow,
And seaman hurled to death below
1
The huge waves at each other cast,
| And billowed DER the raging waste;
Then sped like harneSsed steeds a1ar
That drag shattered battle-car
| Amid the midnight din of war!
| False Hatteras, when the cyclone came
Thy waves leaped up with hOarse acclaim >
And ran and wrecked yOn argOsy
FOre'er nine sank That lone hulk stanos,
Embedded in thy yellow sands .;,,.a
A hundred hearts in death there stll1eo,
And yet its ribs, with cOrpses filled,
Are now caressed by thee :,
Smile on, smile on, thou watery he'll,
And toss those skulls upon thy Shore
| The sailors widow knows thee we'll,
| His hildren beg from door to door
And shiver while they strive to tell
| How thou hast robbed the wretched poor :
| Yon lifeless skull shall speak for me-:
This is Golgotha of the sea
| And its keen hunger is the same
| In winters frost or summer flame.
| When life was yOung-adventure sweet
/ came with Walter Raleigh's fleet.
| But here my scattered bones have lam
And bleached for ages by the main;
| Though lonely once, strange folks have
| come,
| Till peopled is my barren home.
Enough are here, o heed the cry,
Ye white-winged strangers sailing by;
The bark that fingers on this wave
| Will find it smiling but a grave.
Then, tardy mariner, turn and fee;
| A myriad wrecks are on thy lee!
With swelling sail and slOping mast,
Accept kind Heavens propitious blast!
Oh, ship, sail on. Oh, ship, sail fast,
i Until, Golgotha's quicksand passed,
Thou gainest the open sea at last