Monday, January 16, 2012

"Mending the Old Flag."


In the silent gloom of a garret room,
With cobwebs round it creeping,
From day to day the old Flag lay-
A veteran worn and sleeping.
Dingily old, each wrinkled fold
By the dust of years was shaded;
Wounds of the storm were upon its form;
The crimson stripes were faded.

'Twas a mournful sight in the day-twilight,
This thing of humble seeming,
That once so proud o'er the cheering crowd
Had carried its colors gleaming:
Stained with mould were the braids of gold,
That had flashed at the sun-ray's kissing;
Of faded hue was its field of blue,
And some of the stars were missing.

Three Northern maids and three from glades
Where dreams the South-land weather,
With glances kind and their arms entwined,
Came up the stair together:
They gazed awhile, with a thoughtful smile,
At the crouching form before them;
With clinging holds they grasped its folds.
And out of the darkness bore them.

They healed its scars, they found its stars,
And brought them all together
(Three Northern maids and three from glades
Where smiles the South-land weather);
They mended away through the summer day,
Made glad by an inspiration
To fling it high at the smiling sky,
On the birthday of our nation.

In the brilliant glare of the summer air,
With a brisk breeze round it creeping,
Newly bright through the glistening light,
The flag went grandly sweeping:
Gleaming and bold were its braids of gold,
And flashed in the sun-ray's kissing;
Red, white, and blue were of deepest hue,
And none of the stars were missing.

~ written by Will Carleton, published in 1873


I love how the girls came together despite
their possible differences ~ to accomplish something
far greater than themselves.

 "Coming together is a beginning.
Keeping together is progress.
Working together is success."

~ Henry Ford ~



Thanks for stopping by!

6 comments:

  1. This poem and illustration came from a book I own, titled 'Farm Ballads'. The poems are all written by Will Carleton, but the illustrator is unknown. The works were entered in to the Library of Congress by Harper & Brothers publisher in 1873. Copyright is 1882.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh Megan, tears and goose-bumps! Thank-you! I need to look up this poet.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have another book from his farm series ~ 'Farm Festivals' ( I think there were 4). His poems can be quite long, but they are glimpses in to real life in the mid-19th century.

      I'll e-mail you what he wrote as the preface for 'Farm Ballads' as I think you could relate to his words. So interesting to read... I'm glad I bought them (the year after I graduated high school). They were pricey books for me at the time, at $9 apiece, but well worth it. I thought someday maybe I would read and appreciate them, and now I do.

      Delete
  3. Megan; Beautiful poem, and also though your thoughts and quote are powerful.Hope your Monday is marvelous!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Megan, I am new to your site. LOVE IT X 1000. :) I just happened on your site. I was a porcelain doll maker in the 90's and the ones I kept all are in handmade vintage clothing, every single thing on them. I then put a pc. of antique jewelry on mine to set them apart.I love almost all the things you like. lol. anyway, I LOVED the pic you posted on here,and the poem! Beautiful!I would love to join your site. do you have fb or do you email? I have gotten so exicted I didn't look. I live in CO. and would love to be-friend you if you do that! sorry this is so long. the next ones won't be, I hope!") victoria, my email is vcjciolek@comcast.net thank you for everything you do.

    ReplyDelete

“Kind words can be short and easy to speak,
but their echoes are truly endless.”

~ Mother Teresa