Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-03-28
REDWOOD.

Her epic wilds, her lyric streams.
And dreamed unframed, her leafy
dreams.
Ye saw and heard and We grew strong
Drank in with avid lips the song;
Inspired, grew up into the sky;
Put ali the lesser landscape by
To look abroad, to pierce the blue.
And build the larger hope in you,
The hope of mountain and of flood,
And so became this noble wood
And l, the dreamer of a day,
No sooner born than old and gray.
Before YOU stand in silent awe
And from your royal presence draw,
As from some cool enchanted spring
draught that gives my spirit wing,
And fires my soul TO climb the height
And catch upon its front the light
And We have outlived nations, trees!
Yea, We have seen the hungry seas
Engulf the land, and ye have seen
Old Earthquake split vast leagues OF
green,
/ And We have heard Volcano roar,
/ And We have seen him madly pour
His flaming froth down valleys vast,
| Yet still We live. and of the past
Do speak to us with voice sublime,
As We were brothers of gray Time.
And We snail speak to future days
As now We speak. and hear their
praise
And We TO nations yet unborn
Shall be glory of their morn,
A wonder in their latest hour,
An inspiration and a power.
Hail, Hail! We all majestic grove;
Fit temple We to shelter Jove
With all the gods assembled round;
Fit nave 10 arch their speech pro-
found;
Fit pillars to support the beams
OF their great thoughts and greater
dreams.
Perchance twas here that once they
dwelt
When high Olympus saw them melt
That last time through the purple
sky;
And Grecian glory Hoated by,
And song and all the kindred arts
Forsook fair Greece for foreign parts.
Perchance twas here they dwelt
awhile,
Dreaming of Hellas and each isle
That gerls har-her whose tears were
shed
For the old order that was dead,
b Perchance those tears that gave
drink to thee
And hence, through all adversely,
off
mien
And your sublimity serene.
Speak speak, We monarch OF the
woodl
That make divine this solitude,
Why went they hence and left ye
here
, To be the prophets of our year,
= The lofty scorners of our creed
- Or do they, trees, as dryads live
In the high airy courts you give?
-. And still, unseen, among us move
With sweet inspiritings of love?
= We ask. hut We shall pay no heed;
. Our little speech is as the sigh
!, The green grass heaves when winds
r go by.
n Ye cannot hear or if ye do.
And speak to us, the voice is new
n And with such language answers us,
t We only are ridiculous,
I. Maybe the gods shall come once more
+ And enter through this lordly door
Z That pygmies that of Parthenon
Y And dwarfs the porch OF Solomon.
5 TIL then your temples for their feet.
" And now, be strewn with spices
d sweet:
Il Til then your affairs keep their fires,
l. Till then be strung your golden Tyres
|. And your fair vestals, watchful
: swing
t Sweet incense for their welcoming,
J, The while our thuribles shall be
Upwreathing odorous thoughts to
: thee,
g For We are more than mortal, trees,
Q And more We know of mysteries
- Than solemn sphinx or pyramid
n Or e'er Assyrian cities mid
Their knowledge is of their own
time,
While yours like some amending
I rhyme
h From age to age moves up and on
Il Into The ever lIving dawn.
i The Cedars old of Lebanon,
S Dodona's vocal oaks have won
n Renown. but they to you are small;
e We are the monarcns of them all,
l. Of greater girth and nobler height
$ And rinced with more Of sky and
+ light
t. And lowered with more of grace and
v might
s Yea. ever build your towers high
S And reach to us the happy sky
{ That We may gain our lofty goals,
e Tnct with the solace of your souls,
= And, rich with heavens strength do
|. pass
S Beyond the region of old wars,
S Through the dark portals of the
g grass,
{ Into The silence of the stars.
7 Farewell FAREWELL Ny feet again
4 Must tread the noisy haunts of men,
And must delve therein slave.
To the dark margin of the grave
Yet whatsoever fate shall lead