The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1917-06-30
GIVE ME MORE LIGHT"

| Was it prophetic, that heart-rendng cry
Escaped thy lips, when on thy dying bed,
Thy struggling soul, sister, with sigh
Tried to support thy dreamy, droopy head?
Give more lghtw and quick each gentle nurse
Was Was soon complying with thy just demands;
And thlevlsh tears fell trickling through my hands!
"Give me light" The wish was scarce expressed
When thou vert gone up there bevond the skies!
The lamps bright beams now slanting on thy breast
With vain reflection sought thy sghtless eyes!
Twill haunt me- aye! When thou art Wondering dust
Stern Duty may, my busy moments fill
But night or day, remember thee must!
see thy room, thy bed thy feverish frame
To shadow shrunken by that Dread Disease;
Thy palld brow, thy breath that went and came;
Thy thankful glance DESTROYS still to please!
My memory too, recalls thy forttude
In battling bravely 'gainst battling foe!
Thy useful thrift in hours Of solitude
Thy resignation sweet in time of woe!
Thy Judgment sound! Thy Consistency to friends!
Thy childke Confidence in Gods good care,
And Sterling Character that never bends
To wound Sincerity or cause Despair!
Thy love of books and erudition rare!
Thy tried Integrity in Items small!
Thy lingering beads denoting love of pray'r
Thy guileless nature harboring love for all!
Yea! All these virtues Of life well-spent
Like white-robed angels seem to hover round
Thy martyred body to whose face is lent
That look of Peace which oft in Saints is found
But oh! Thy consecrated words come back,
Which no poetic license dares to mar;
Methinks hear them as my soul they rack
With plaintive iteration from afar:
81 am so weak! Oh! Pray that may sleep
Dear brother, since may not hope for more!
"Oh! Leave me not alone, but vigil keep;
For none can know how sick am and Sore"
And when at last my gaze still fixed on thine,
fe rs. on y crv dyne
my God! Ny God! Must then die to night?"
Yes! Thou didst die! Prophetic once again.
That very night! saw mid binding tears
That silent shudder as of passing pain;
Those staring eyes that never knew such fears!
oh! Thou! Whose pityag heart near Jericho
Did heed tn importunate blind beggars plea,
Unto my sorrow-strcken spirit show
The self-same mercy, Lord: "That may seew
rGive me more lghtr' Sad Retrospective thought!
It brings to me the Past when was dense:
loved her then! Alas! not as ought!
love her now, with longing more intense!
OF Limitations cbn1paasin1 my browl n
My Reason seeks in Faith guiding hand;
Eternal Truth, oh! say: where is She now"
They call it Heaven but what BODIES the name,
If mortal vision cannot penetrate -
That Gloom prismatie' which the Savior came
To illumne' only in some Futures state?
call :. But not the slightest echos heard!
The Spark Divine expects answering voice!
The creatures s. O. S. must take His Word;
Eternal Silence Sphinxlike leaves no choice.
His Word is Light! We call it Hope! The last
That clings to man when all is dark Within
That Phoenix-like arises from the Past
70 watt him up beyond this world of Sin!
"Give US more lghtw No matter how it shines
On soul or body! IT'S boon to all!
Give knowledge deep! Give Culture that refines!
Give Trust in Cod sole balm since Adams fall"
Give US more light! Society bleeds to-day
For Deeds of Darkness by each nation done!
Oh! May Columbia still in Justice stay
To guide her sons to Light, when Peace IS won!
A. s. Morgan City,
~~+~"~-~" --ssass