Selected Poetry.

Western Star, Issue 1349, 27 April 1889, Page 1 (Supplement)

Selected Poetry.

♦ TO A CAPTIVE BIRO. Bird (hat has sung in the forest bowers, Mingling thy strains with the breath of flowers, As the prayers of saints with the incense rise From the altar, borne to the ft»' - off skies. Never again wilt thou wander free. Happy in innocent liberty; Never agsin wilt, thou >prend thy wing. And in thy csreh'fs wanderings sing As thou hast sung in the days of yore, In the happy times that, come no more, When thy days, like the summer sun were bright, And thy sleep was watched by the stars at night. Thou art torn from thy nest on the forest bough, A cheerless prison confines thee now, And S thou singest, thy songs must be The sjmgs of a sad captivity. _ . Oft wnt thou gaze to yon azure skies. Grieving to feel that thou canst not rise ; In vain would thy light wings essay To burst these bars and soar away. Sweet bird, I cannot set thee free Or solace thy captivity ; There must thou pine till death’s release Shall give to thee oblivion’s peace. FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH. Loyal in all, and faithful unto death— Albeit my lady doubt me—l have been. sAnd now, my lifeblood reddening all the green, I hid you tell her, with my lab at breath— Albeit my lady doulu mo—l have been " Loyal in all, and fahhful unto death.” ■ When, sword in hand, I’ve battled for the right— . Nor blood, nor life grudged I, in honour s cause; Not that I cared to win the world’s applause. And, though I have’lbeen the strife. Nor blood, nor life grudged I, in honour’s cause, When, sword in hand, I’re battled r or the right. What God wills, will be. If my lady grieve Eight bitterly repenting—let her know None car fight fate, and tell her that I go Resigned —not willingly, sines her I leave. Eight bitterly repenting. Let her know What God wills, will be, if my lady grieve. In hope is comfort, so content I’ll wait. Some day, some day, my love will come to me. 0 faithful heart! trust thou eternity To compensate life’s losses thro’ ill fate. Some day, some day, my love will come to me., In hope is comfort, so content I'll wait.