I have a sapphire that I turn;
And the clouds break, and the wine
Of a glorious sun spreads east and west
To where the Islands of the Blest
Raise verdant shores at my behest,
And a golden world is mine.
Oh Sapphire from a distant vale
Where the white Himalayas tower:
Where the Kashmir lakes are royal blue,
And passions strong and hearts are true,
All these are met and blent in you,
A princely heir and dower.
THE TWINS.
Out of the wonderful nowhere,
Into the lowly here;
Laughing and loving and lithesome,
And radiating cheer.
Twin rose-buds o’ Killarney hue—
Fragrant and fresh and fair—
And eyes of blue, wide-gazed and true,
And tawny yellow hair.
And smiles as sweet as any meet
In pleasant paths above:
And golden laughter that echoes after,
To finger the chords of love.
Two wee buds o’ Killarney hue
That beckon and beguile—
And ’neath your spell we’re learning well
There is something still worth while.
Though drab days break and drab thoughts wake
O’er fields of sleet and snow,
There’s sunshine rare just everywhere—
For you have taught us so.
ON SENDING MY BOOK TO AN ENGLISH FRIEND.
“It’s a long lane that knows no turnings”—
And the seas are wide indeed,
But there are no barriers dividing
The Anglo-Saxon creed.
Fair fighting when the skies are lowering—
Fair peace when skies are clear—
And the faith of fair intentions, unfaltering,
And the heart that holds no fear.