NOISES IN THE NIGHT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 20043, 4 September 1920, Page 8

NOISES IN THE NIGHT.

0 Whan darkness bows its sombre head, And daylight from the land has fled, Then children, happy, bright and gay, Uako evening ring with joyful ploy, And age, with witty jest and chaff, Joins in tho mirth with jocund laugh. And when by kindly nature led Each sleepy child retires to bed, Then np from wheel and rattling tin, The noises of the night begin. A toot and rumble from afar Of motor horns and speeding car; Tho newsboy calling in tho street, And bands discoursing music sweet; An organ’s rich, elusive swell, Like fairy music, weaves a spell; Pianos grand and gramophones, An autoharp, and strange wild tones From some newfangled instrument, To torment man malicious sent. Some preacher with a message stern, Warning all men from sin to turn, And orators in fancy flights Discussing human wrongs and rights. A politician, leather-lunged, All suave for self, and oily tongned, On some street comer glibly clacks To those he hopes will grind his aie The striking of tho tower clock And sound of blows on chopping block A rat hard gnawing at a board, ’ In search of place where food is stored. Then sirens loud from fire brigade For danger's call must be obeyed, ’ A shrieking tram on curved rail The whispering wind with plaintive wail, That rushes 'mongst the creaking pine. Then sportive sweeps past lowing kino; Soma hooting owl in lusty search, And restless rooster on his porch A crowing o’er somo great event’ That happened on tho day just spent, too quacking ducks in riverbed, swans cry from overhead, with whistle shrill, and puffing hard, w-.i i man 011 !lia Measured boat With heavy tread of well-shod feet Somo wretched wife in tattered shawl And worthless man in drunken brawl Their raucous voices loud and rude upon the doep’ning dark intrude. ’ The humming of a dynamo. Prom force which makes the wheels to go hent forth on distant leagues of wire. The spirit of eternal fire. From far away the moaning sea Brings mystic sounds inland to me. jfi l ® ll audden, with a mewing veil My other thoughts some cals dispel, All fighting on a gable high, A silhouette against tho sky. A thump a hounding sound of' brick Loud crash and smash, but cats’ too’ quick; A nehcohet thro window pane; Then language which few books contain, forceful, explosive as a mine, niose cats to warmer realms consign borne dog* wake up and loudly bark; f rom ill-ht streets and alleys dark Jhoir howls around reverberate, And leave the weak in nervous state, for all this miscellaneous noise ihe rest and sleep of.man destroys. -H. H. HEATLEY.