OKLAHOMA AND OTHER POEMS ***
Produced by David Starner, William Flis, and the PG Online Distributed Proofreading Team.
[Illustration: (Freeman E. Miller.)]
OKLAHOMA
AND
OTHER POEMS
BY
FREEMAN E. MILLER, A.M.,
PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE IN THE
AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COLLEGE OF
OKLAHOMA TERRITORY.
BUFFALO
CHARLES WELLS MOULTON
1895
* * * * *
COPYRIGHT, 1895,
BY FREEMAN E. MILLER, A.M.
PRINTED BY
CHARLES WELLS MOULTON,
BUFFALO, N.Y.
* * * * *
_TO_
_JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY,_
_IN AFFECTIONATE_
_MEMORY OF OTHER DAYS._
_Our dearest joys forever flow_ _From fountains of the Long Ago,_ _That from the heights of pleasures past_ _Flood all the present valleys vast,_ _And with eternal glees provide_ _The future's endless ocean tide._
* * * * *
_To ope each cage where a heartless age_ _Hath chained the birds of singing,_ _Till Love's own glee that is fond and free_ _Shall laugh where they are winging,--_ _Such is my wish. 'Tis true, hold I,_ _That songs, like birds, in bondage die._
* * * * *
CONTENTS.
OKLAHOMA 9 THE RACE FOR HOMES 15 AT PERRY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1893 19 "SING ME A SONG, O WIND." 21 A CHRISTMAS CAROL 24 YEARS THAT ARE TO BE 26 IF WE DON'T OR IF WE DO 28 DEAR SONGS OF MY COUNTRY 30 JULY FOURTH 33 "O, GENTLE SHADES OF QUIET WOODS." 35 LOVE 37 WINTERS ON THE FARM 39 "O, WEAK AND WEARY WORLD." 41 EX ANIMA 43 "LO, ALL THE AGE IS RANK WITH WRONG." 45 "LOVE, THOU GAYEST FANCY-WEAVER." 47 THE FARMER 49 "NATURE HAS A THOUSAND CHOIRS." 51 THE WORKINGMAN 53 GIVING AND FORGIVING 55 "O, SACRED SOULS THAT GRANDLY SING." 57 CHRISTMAS TIME 59 TRUEST HEROES ARE UNKNOWN 61 IF WE BUT KNEW 62 HOPE 64 DESPONDENCY 66 IF LOVE WERE KING 68 "SING ME THE OLD SONGS, MOTHER." 69 TWO LIVES 71 "AWAY, AWAY, FROM THE SULTRY WAYS." 72 SPINSTERHOOD 74 "SWEET FAIRIES FROM THE ISLES OF SONG." 75 STANZAS 77 "MAKE THE MOST OF THIS LIFE." 78 "THE SONGS THAT MOTHER USED TO SING." 80 "QUAFF THE GLASS, THE WINE IS RED." 81 GOOD-NIGHT 83 LIVE LIFE WITH LOVE 84 DISCONTENT 86 STANZAS 87 THE WAY OF THE WORLD 89 MY SHADOW AND I 90 IN THE VALES 91 THE WILLOW 92 AT THE MILL 94 SHADOW AND SHINE 95 THE GROWTH OF SONG 96 SPRING AND MUSIC 97 COMPENSATION 98 MY MOLLIE, O 100 SING NOT OF BEAUTY 101 AT EVENTIDE 102 WHEN CHRISTMAS COMES 103 WHEN THOU ART NEAR 104 HE SLEEPS AT LAST 105 WHEN FORTUNES FROWN 106 WHEN WE SHALL MEET 107 SWEET EYES OF BLUE 108 HAD WE NOT MET 109 A SONNET 110 OKLAHOMA.--A SONNET 111 ESTRANGED 112 RECONCILED 113 THE DYING HERO 114 SONNET 115 GREATNESS LIVES APART 116 POEMS 117 SINGER AND SONG 118 TO ONE WHO PLEDGED HER FRIENDSHIP 119 THE BANKS O' TURKEY RUN 119
OKLAHOMA.
Oklahoma! Oklahoma! Land, O, land of the Fair God, Land where ancient, savage races Through barbarian ages trod! Through thy story fancy traces Facts above what fictions say, Where the world with haste advances,-- Born are nations in a day! Where the wigwam stood so lonely, Lordly cities rise in might; Where spread desert wildness only, Fertile farms and homes delight. Thou hast summoned to thy bosom From the ends of all the earth, All the youngest, strongest, bravest, Full of will and wondrous worth. O'er thy valleys grow the blossoms Culled from earth's remotest sod; Oklahoma! Oklahoma! Land, O, Land of the Fair God!
