We who have loved thee in days long over,
Mistress immortal and Queen of our hearts ;
With the passionate strength of a youthful lover,
Take, ere for ever the glow departs.
Ere the flaming gleam of our heart’s devotion
Flicker and fail as the night blows chill.
The homage that stirs no mock emotion
‘Tis thine, our Mother, to claim it still.
Dear to remember, the high June weather!
(Soft thro’ the shadows the boat glides on).
Rich are the dreams we have gathered together
From the long hours of rapturous sun :
Tho’ now with echoes of warfare sounding.
Thy groves remember the cries of old ;
And still, with their distant peace surrounding,
Thy sons to thy bosom those arms enfold.
Then whether the sharp death face us daily,
Thy youthful warriors lov’d of thee,
Thy towers and palaces smiling gaily.
In vision, our wishful eyes may see:
For all the hours of life and pleasure.
For all the beauty by thee made known,
We pay thee in no stinted measure.
But gladly lay our young lives down.
(Donald Frederic Goold Johnson)
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Based on Topics: Love Poems, Life Poems, Night Poems, War & Peace Poems, Dreams Poems, Cry Poems, Beauty Poems, Money & Wealth Poems, Mothers Poems, Pleasure Poems, Imagination & Visualization PoemsBased on Keywords: wishful, stinted