East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1906-01-16
LEONA.

The following beautiful poem was
written by James G. Clark, well
known poet and singer who spent the
last years of his life in oregon, and
who died in Los Angeles in 1895. t
is said to be perfect in rythm, rhyme
and meter and is rated as one of the
most beautiful lyrical compositions in
the English language. 1t was written
during the spring of 1869, while the
author watched by the deathbed of
his mother. In a personal cores
pondence carried on for several years
with the editor of the East Oregonian,
the author related the touching story
that inspired the lines:
Leona, the hour draws nigh,
The hour we've waited so long:
For an angel to open a door in the
sky
That my spirit may break from my
prison, and try
Its voice in an infinite song.
Just now as the slumbers of night
Came DER me with peace-giving
breath,
The curtain half lifted revealed to my
sight,
Those windows which look on the
kingdom of light
That borders the River of Death.
And vision fell, solemn and sweet,
Bringing CLEANS of a morning-lit
land;
I saw the white shore which the pale
waters beat
And | heard the low lull as they broke
at their feet,
Who walk on the beautiful strand
And l wondered why spirits should
cling
To the clay with struggle and sigh;
When Life's purple Autumn is better
than Spring,
And the soul flies away like a spar
row, to sing
In a climate where leaves never die
Leona, come close to my bed
And lay your dear hand on my brow.
The same touch that thrilled me in
days that are fled
And raised the lost roses of Youth
from the dead
Can brighten the brief moments
now!
We have lived from the cold world
apart:
And your trust was too generous
and true
For their hate to oerthrow; when the
slanderer's dart
Was ranking deep in my desolate
heart,
was dearer than ever to you!
I thank the great Father for this:
That our love was not lavished in
vain.
Each germ IN the future shall blossom
to bliss .G
And the forms that we love and the
lips that we kiss
Never shrink at the shadow of pain.
In the light of this Faith I am
taught -
That Death is but action begun;
In the strength of this hope L have
struggled and fought
With the legions of Wrong, till my
armor has caught
A CLEAN from Eternfty's sun!
Leona, look forth and behold!
From headland, from hillside and
deep
The day-king surrenders MS pan
ners of gold,
And twilight advances through wood
land and void
And the dews are beginning to
weep.
The moons silver hair lies uncurIed
Down the broad-breasted noun
tains away
Fer the sunsets red glory again shall
be furled
Ger the walls of the west, DER the
plains of the world
/ shall wake in a limitless day!
o, come not in tears to my tomb,
Nor plant with frail flowers the sod!
There is rest among roses too sweet
for it's gloom.
And life where the lilies eternally
bloom
In the balm-breathing gardens of
God!
Yet deeply these memories burn
Which bind me to YOU and to earth;
And [ sometimes have thought that
my spirit would yearn
In the bowers of it's beautiful home.
to return
And visit the home Of its birth!
'Twould even be pleasant to stay
And walk by your side to the last;
But the land-breeze of heavens be-
ginning to play
Life's shadows are greeting Eeterfh-
ty's day
And its tumult is hushed in the
past!
Leona, goodbye; should the grief
That is gathering now ever be
Too strong for your faith-you VIII
long for relief;
Remember the journey, though lone
some Is brief,
Ger lowland and river TO me!
james G. Clark.