Oklahoma and Other Poems Part 1

Oklahoma and Other Poems.

by Freeman E. Miller.

OKLAHOMA.

Oklahoma! Oklahoma!

Land, O, land of the Fair G.o.d, Land where ancient, savage races Through barbarian ages trod!

Through thy story fancy traces Facts above what fictions say, Where the world with haste advances,-- Born are nations in a day!

Where the wigwam stood so lonely, Lordly cities rise in might; Where spread desert wildness only, Fertile farms and homes delight.

Thou hast summoned to thy bosom From the ends of all the earth, All the youngest, strongest, bravest, Full of will and wondrous worth.

O'er thy valleys grow the blossoms Culled from earth's remotest sod; Oklahoma! Oklahoma!

Land, O, Land of the Fair G.o.d!

Oklahoma! Oklahoma!

There is music in thy name.

There is gladness in thy glory, There is fondness in thy fame!

In the wonders of thy story s.h.i.+nes the sheen of n.o.ble deed, Brighter than the glare of battle Where the warriors toil and bleed; Ruling with immortal forces, There is found the king of might, Over all thy great resources By the strength of truth and right.

With thy happy sons and daughters, Live the virtues fair and pure, And the better angels guiding Keep their hearts and souls secure.

There are treasures in thy valleys, There are treasures in thy hills; Oklahoma! Oklahoma!

How thy name my bosom thrills!

Oklahoma! Oklahoma!

Child of law and liberty, Thou art always true and tender, Thou art ever dear to me!

I will always praises render To the grandeur of thy worth, For the fortunes all presided At the moment of thy birth.

Pleasures in their pure completeness O'er thy pleasant prairies s.h.i.+ne, And the raptures run with fleetness Through the happy vales of thine.

Thou art empress of the angels, Thou art queen of all the G.o.ds, And the happiness of heaven O'er thy laughing valleys nods.

I will always crown with praises All thy glories, O, my state; Oklahoma! Oklahoma!

Thou art greatest of the great!

Oklahoma! Oklahoma!

Bravest are thy n.o.ble sons, In the thunders of the battle, And the roaring of the guns!

Flash of sword and musket's rattle Never fearful terror gave To the staunch and valiant bosoms Of thy happy hosts and brave.

When the roars of h.e.l.l grow louder, And the mountains shake in fright, In the lurid clouds of powder, They are foremost in the fight; And when bayonet and musket, Sword and saber, slaughter cease, They are tenderest and truest In the silent ways of peace.

O, my state! A stream of greatness From thy mighty people runs; Oklahoma! Oklahoma!

Bravest are thy n.o.ble sons!

Oklahoma! Oklahoma!

Fairest are thy daughters fair, In the thousand deeds of duty Thou hast given them to bear; Peerless is their wondrous beauty, Bright with blushes as the rose, Pure as petals of the lily, White as newly-fallen snows; And their voices bright with blessing Banish misery and woe, While their fingers' soft caressing Soothes the fevers from the brow.

Souls are always blessed with brightness Bosoms filled with goodly pearls, Hearts forever harvest gladness, In the glances of thy girls.

They are robed in golden garments, Nature's vestments, rich and rare; Oklahoma! Oklahoma!

Fairest are thy daughters fair!

Oklahoma! Oklahoma!

Sweetest are thy happy homes, Smiling in the holy gladness Which above thee always roams; They are never linked with sadness, They are never bound with pains, For the suns.h.i.+ne of enjoyment Rules the people of thy plains.

Songs are singing with thy maidens, Music echoes with thy wives, Rapture slays the grief that ladens All the gladness of their lives.

Happiness is with thy husbands, And thy swains are blest with joy, While the fondest rapture rises In the hearts of girl and boy.

Pleasures linger in thy woodlands, Gladness on thy prairies roams; Oklahoma! Oklahoma!

Sweetest are thy happy homes!

Oklahoma! Oklahoma!

Thou shall ever live in song; Freedom, near to nature, raises Temples that to thee belong; Minstrels shall in merry praises Wind their music o'er thy name Till the voices of the ages Shout for thee in wild acclaim; They shall sing with tender pleasure Beauty of thy daughters true; Sing, in high, exultant measure, Deeds thy sons in battle do.

Sages shall in wisdom offer Full rewards of love to thee, And shall crown thy land and people Favorites of liberty.

All thy glory shall be s.h.i.+ning Through the cycles clear and strong; Oklahoma! Oklahoma!

Though shall ever live in song!

Oklahoma! Oklahoma!

Romance of the ages, thou!

Now, unknown; a moment later.

Kingly crowns upon thy brow!

Child of all the nations, greater Shall thy splendors year by year Grow unfading, bringing bounties Full of happiness and cheer!

Morning saw a desert sleeping, Worn and wasted with distress; Night beheld an empire keeping Watch above the wilderness.

Progress with her wand of magic Touched the sleeping valleys bright, And they leaped with instant vigor, Shaking out their locks of might; Earth shall send her fairest blossoms As a garland for thy brow; Oklahoma! Oklahoma!

Romance of the ages thou!

THE RACE FOR HOMES.

APRIL 22, 1889.

Behold! As from the shades of night, An army gathers full of might, And strong with constant courage stands 'Tween civilized and savage lands, Where, vast in power, the legion waits The turning of the desert gates, That men of might may enter in And progress all her glories win!

Lo, where these thousands make a.s.sail, The barren ages all shall fail, And swift advancement far be hurled, O'er sleeping empires and the world!

The morning hours haste hurried by; Behold! The noon is drawing nigh!

The anxious host with careful eyes Marks well each rapid hour that flies, While hope, exulting, wildly rolls The highest, such as filled the souls Of Jason and his comrades bold, Who sought the famous fleece of gold.

Upon the trampled gra.s.ses beat Impatient steeds with restless feet; The dins of harsh, discordant cries Above the thrilling thousands rise; Shrilly the scattered children call, And soft the words of women fall, While men with voices hushed and weak Their low commands expectant speak; Till suddenly a mighty cry, A shout of warning, smites the sky:

"Attention! Ho, Attention here!

Attention! Lo, The noon is near!"

O'er hill and brake Resounds the warning cry; The moment great is nigh; The hosts awake; Awake, to strive with mad delight, Awake to win the friendly fight; And from the camps anear and far, Where nervous haste and hurry are, Vast legions gather on the plain, While chaos and confusion reign; The neighing steed with quickened pace Impatient seeks the vantage place; The slower ox with lightened load Stands waiting in the crowded road.

And wagon, buggy, carriage, cart, Vehicles formed with rudest art, All forward, forward, forward dart, Swift-forming on the level ground Where most advantage may be found.

"Line up! Ho, there, Line up, line up!"

The hurried order smites the air; Above the silent prairies fair Unseen progression holds her cup, Filled to the brim with magic seeds That harvests hold for human needs.

Excitement grows on beasts and men; The saddle girths are tightened o'er, The stirrups lengthened out once more, And silence softly falls again; Each bit and buckle, strap and band, Is tested o'er with careful hand, And man and beast in chosen place Stand ready for the coming race;

The circling sun His morning race has fully run; A waving hand Signals above the brief command That sight and sense will understand,-- And open swings the desert land!

A shot! A hundred, thousand more The gra.s.sy meadows echo o'er; A shout! From countless throats a shout, On rolling wings leaps madly out; A yell, a raging roar, that flies On bounding winds o'er hill and glen, And 'round the land electrifies A thousand living miles of men!

A mammoth stir, A sudden dash, Swift whip and spur Together clash, And wheels on wheels that totter cras.h.!.+

They're off! They're off!

Away, away, In mad array!

No stop nor stay!

The hurried charge they ride to-day Would shame and scoff The Tartar, Turk and Romanoff!

The race is on; The host is gone; The thronging legions madly ride O'er hill and dale, With hurried pace unsatisfied.

In fierce a.s.sail Where none may fail; And only phantoms dimly blent Tell where the mounted armies went, Like s.h.i.+fting shadows, faint and dim, Or ghostly spectors, gaunt and grim, Beyond the far horizon's rim!