Prison Poetry

COPYRIGHT, BY H. P. M'KNIGHT, A. D. 1896.
In leisure moments cast a look Upon the pages of this book; And if your thoughts they should engage, Just think of me who wrote this page. And if by chance, in your time of leisure, You, in these pages, should find pleasure, Then dart your mind up to this cell, For here I live in an earthly HELL.

Go forth, thou little volume, I leave thee to thy fate!
To those who read thee faithfully Thy leaves I dedicate.
But if your fate should be so sad As mine who thee have writ,
I'd be so vexed to think that I Had made such a poor hit.
But if by chance you meet a friend Along life's road so dreary,
Just cheer his mind till he is blind, And never make him weary.
Teach him the way, the live-long day, To lend a helping hand,
And never turn or even spurn Those wrecked on life's hard strand.
If chance should be you return to me, Along with harvest's golden,