THE moon hangs lightly on yon western hill;
And now it gives a parting look, like one
Who sadly leaves the guilty. You and I
Must watch, when all is dark, and steal along
By these lone trees, and wait for plunder. -Hush!
I hear the coming of some luckless wheel,
Bearing we know not what- perhaps the wealth
Torn from the needy, to be hoarded up
By those who only count it; and perhaps
The spendthrift’s losses, or the gambler’s gains,
The thriving merchant’s rich remittances,
Or the small trifle some poor serving girl
Sends to her poorer parents. But come on-
Be cautious. – There – ‘t is done; and now away,
With breath drawn in, and noiseless step, to seek
The darkness that befits so dark a deed.
Now strike your light.- Ye powers that look upon us!
What have we here? Whigs, Sentinels, Gazettes,
Heralds, and Posts, and Couriers – Mercuries,
Recorders, Advertisers, and Intelligencers –
Advocates and Auroras. – There, what’s that!
That’s – a Price Current.
I do venerate
The man, who rolls the smooth and silky sheet
Upon the well cut copper. I respect
The worthier names of those who sign bank bills;
And, though no literary man, I love
To read their short and pithy sentences.
But I hate types, and printers – and the gang
Of editors and scribblers. Their remarks,
Essays, songs, paragraphs, and prophecies,
I utterly detest. -And these, particularly,
Are just the meanest and most rascally,
” Stale and unprofitable” publications,
I ever read in my life.
(John Gardiner Calkins Brainard)
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Based on Topics: Man Poems, Life Poems, Light Poems, Nature Poems, Money & Wealth Poems, Prophets & Prophecies Poems, Parents Poems, Moderation & Temperance PoemsBased on Keywords: couriers, gambler, whigs, unprofitable, venerate, advocates, paragraphs, pithy, scribblers, printers, auroras