Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-01-27
Tom Daly's Column
THE HthnAGR POET

THE VILLAGE POET
whenever as Saturday IN Jdnudrlrs
heel
I must confess, ,oith civio shdme. that
this Is hotO I feet
An oak log IN tho frepldce-fdntes far
ing up the fue-
rs toorth a hundred Chestnut streets ard
all the nctos that's ne1o.
The tCtndotcs of this HvinoToom iooI out
on Wister Wood,
Tho finest siivan Uistd IN this urban
neiohborhood;
But tcinter's touch Is on u not0. the ptc
turc's cold and graz,
And there's a summer on mn hearth thdPs
calling me otCdU.
I sit me on tho cozy bench that tanks the
iuolenoob
And tcdtch the odten branch tohich
through so mdny seasons shook
IT'S banners Of the Vernal green aud du
tumnS rcd on moh,
NotD b1oSsomino t1ith golden flames that
seek the tointer SKY.
And musiu9 In the genial 01oto ,chcre
reUerics abound
het them haze their tciH tCith me an
compass me around.
Thts log Of oat, tell myself, has Verv
Hbely seen
A deal Of local history since first It's
ledves tCero green;
Wherever 10 tCds tCont to stand, through
sun and rain and snotD,
No doubt for quito hundred years H
sgofcbsd Yb,, ryy r..o,p
OhI here beteH miracle, strange and
tcondrous thingi
A voice from out the cntOers rose and
th"s began to sing:
When I was small and slender
My elder oaks among,
And all my leaves were tender
And all my roots were young,
The world 1 knew was simpler
And spoke a different tongue.
The men were staid and courtly
And favored powdered hair;
The matrons seemed more porty,
The daughters, quito us rair
Wore seemlier apparel
Than nowadays they wear.
One day with passion laden,
When was taller grown,
A lover and maiden
Made my mossed foot their throne,
And carved their names upon me
And claimed me for their ownl
But Stay," Interrupted, "stnce your Hte
has been so long,
Ho1o many more important things might
1T into VoWr songS
YoW'Ue seen the city SQudlcNn0 In It's era
die, so to speak,
When trdUel tCds a SRdilHEe thing, trtth
coaches t1oice a toeeE,
When cdndlc-li0ht tCas all toe had to
brighten up tho toton.
And lots Of things toere 'tGn,eleSs things
that since hare 1Con renolCn.
For instance, as coto.pdth mot improb.
abIyJ YoW knctO
That celebrated street tDherctn tOe seek
the netos that's netO.
Pray, pipe Vour pretty song again, but
condesCend to tell
A fetO OF the important things that IN
yoUr ddy bejeH"
The emberS frightened on the hearth and
from tongue of flame
The oat logs votce lbut Sottened noto to
dredmier dccents) came:
They were the first OF mortals
To sit beneath my shade!
And so when Aprlls portals
Loosed spring on wood and glade
I thrilled with recollection
OF lover and of maid.
For goodness sake" grumbled, "nolU,
Pm simply asking you
To talk about our city and to tell as hoto
tt 0retO,
Instead Of tohich you offer me silly tails
like this
OF ttoo forgotten IoverS toho once sought
your shade, to kiss
Contei tell US tho important things that
happened in your Ife"
7 heard rustic near me and noticed that
the t0its
Had stolen In beside me and had crept
beneath mn acin0-
Then the enbers famed up brightly and
the voice began to sing:
They were the first OF mortals
To sit beneath my shade,
And so when Aprils portals
Loosed spring on wood and glade
I thrilled with recollection
or lover and of maid
OF streets and bricks and plaster
Why should you seek to know?
Not Mammon was the master
In days of long ago.
Twas Love and Loves home,buiders
That made your city grow.
=
Ahl here in ashes lying
Another Joy I've had
To comfort by my dying,
To comfort and make glad;
Another pair OF lovers
All! hold her close, my ladl
Who 4pouIdr't. on a SATURDAY. IN yunts.