The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-10-02
The Home Circle.


"
The Wind King from the North came down,
Nor stopped by river, mount or town,
But like the boisterOus god at play,
Resistless bounded on his way.
He shook the lake and tore the wood,
And tapped his wings in merry mood,
Nor furled his wings in merry mood,
Nor furled them till he spied afar
The white CAPS flash on Hatteras bar,
Where fierce Atlantic awkward bowls
Der treacherous sands and hidden shoals.
He naused. then wreathed his horn-of cloud
And blew defiance, long and loud
''COme up Come VI, thou tOrrid god,
That rul'st the Southern sea,
HO! lightning eyed and thunder shOd,
Come wrestle here with me!
AS tossed thou the tangled cane
I'll hurl thee DER the boiling main J!
The angry heavens hung dark and still,
Like Arctic night on Hecla'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 it's heaving breast.
Reflected darkness, weird and dread,
An inky plain the waters spread
Amid the elemental lull,
When nature died and death lay dull,
As though itself were sleeping there
Becalmed upon that dismal flood
Ten fated vessels idly stood,
And not a timber reak
Dim silence held each hollow hull,
Save when some sailor in that night,
Oppressed with darkness and despair
Some seaman, cropping for the light,
Rose up and shrieked.
They cried like children, lost and lorn
ooh Lord, deliver while you may!
Sweet Jesus, drive this gloom away!
Forever fled, oh, lovely day!
I would that I were never born!
For stOutest souls we're terrOr-thrilled,
And warmest hearts with horror chilled.
Come up, come up thou torrid god,
Thou ightning-eyed and thunder-shOd,
Come wrestle here with ne! -
Twas heard and answered "LO, l come
From azure Caribee
To drive thee covering to thy home
And melt it's walls 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 meet the white-plumed North
Can mortal tOnge in song convey
The fury of that fearful fray?
How ships were splintered at a blow
Sails Shivered into sheets of snow
And Seamen hurled to death below!
Two gods c~Ommingling, bolt and blast,
The huge waves on each other cast,
And beloved DER the raging waste;
Then sped, like harneSSed Steeds afar,
Amid the midnight din of war!
False Hatteras when the cyclone came
Your waves leapt up with hOarse acclaim
And ran and wrecked yon argOsy!
Fore'er nine sank! That lone hulk stands
Embedded in thy yellow sands
An hundred hearts in death then stilled
And yet its ribbs, with cOrpses filled,
Are now caressed by thee!
Smile on, smile on, thou watery hell,
And toss those skulls upon thy shore;
The sailors widow knows thee we'll;
His children beg from dOOr>tO door
And shiver while they strive to tell
How thou has robbed the wretChed poor!
Yon lipless skull shall speak for me,
This is GOlgOtha of the Sea
And its keen hunger is the same
In winters frost or summer s flame!
When life was young, adventure sweet,
I came with Walter Raleigh's fleet,
But here my scattered bones have lain
And bleached for ages by the main!
Though lonely once, strange folks have come
Till peOpled is my barren home,
Enough are here. Oh, heed the cry,
Ye white-winged~ strangers sailing by!
The bark that fingers on this wave,
Will find it's smiling but a grave!
Then, tardy, mariner, turn and flee,
A myrid wrecks are on the lea!
With smiling sail and slOping mast,
Accept kind Heavens's propitious blast
Oh, ship, sail on! Oh, ship, sail fast,
Till thou, GOlgOtha's~ quick-sands past,
Hath gained the open sea at last.