.R8155 S.7 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 0000^00713 1 »1*°* V or . < v » ^ * • » * • v v °^» • » ° ,«° & -■.•« -V V^*' «u* < r * " " ° *° > - s • • » /■% ^ J* s d» 4 O 3? * A A** ^ *0 n v * °* SOUL SONGS GRACE MANN BROWN \ ■ ■■■ d from StP 13 1918 NOV 22 1917 INDEX It Seemeth True 5 My Soldier 7 Sowing and Reaping 9 Mother Love 11 Someday 13 The Silence ^15 We 17 Her Kingdom 18 The West 21 I Believe 22 Justice 25 The Free Star 26 Karma _29 A Perfect Day 31 His Birthday 33 The Song of the Seer _._34 Onward 37 Life and I 39 Time 41 Oftimes 43 I Would Live 45 There is only God and in that consciousness alone shall you and I endure. IT SEEMETH TRUE It seemeth true that earth is torn and rent. That anguished hearts and shivered souls are spent With pain and glaring grief. It seemeth true that Heaven is shrouded o'er That God's sweet home has closed its door Upon the earth child's woe. It seemeth true that earth is moaning deep That hope and faith and love are locked in sleep And human need forgot. Dear heart, it is not true. Beneath the racking roar of hate. Beyond the clanging claim of fate. Is God's sure love. Thank God it only seemeth true that love forget. His love is law itself. This seeming crash of things Is love's great law of birth Onsweeping and upreaching far To render love's life free. The heart break of the world is pleading now For peace. The clarion call of life is ringing now For peace. The steady word of truth is speaking now For Peace. The living faith of myriad souls is breathing now For peace. God give us peace. MY SOLDIER. I did not know that he was so big That his eyes were so blue And that he was so strong and handsome too, I never knew 'Til I saw him in Khaki rig. I did not know France was so far away. I never thought that some soon day My treasure boy might be on his way To France. I did not know that I loved him so, My blessed boy of long ago. I did not know, — God, — how many things there are That Mothers do not know. Because I know That God is all supreme I have no fear. Because I know That I attract my own I have no fear. Because I want The Thing which is my own No matter what my own may be I have no fear. 8 SOWING AND REAPING. I attract my own returning I must reap what I have sown. I alone can meet conditions When I've made them all my own. Only I may know the sorrow, Only I can feel the pain When I myself have brought the burden Crashing on my heart and brain. Yet the knowledge of my sowing Gives me power to overcome Gives me strength to bear the reaping And to know "Thy will be done." For the will of love is justice, And the field of life is right F^or there is no loss in action, Every deed returns in might. As the seed is sown in kindness, So in kindness it returns Bearing two fold strength and beauty As it lives and loves and learns. Every creature in the all life Reaps what ever it has sown, Even God in his great mercy, Only claims what His own. 9 The greatest thing which God can give is love The greatest thing which man can know is love The only thing which will not fail is love The one sure thing which frees and saves is love God give us love. 10 MOTHER LOVE. I kneel at your feet My tiny queen, So dimpled and pink and dear, And I know that all earth Is purified Because of their impress here. I gaze in your eyes, My dearie love, Those eyes of brilliant blue And I know that the angels In worlds above Must envy their heavenly hue. I hold you close My treasure child, With a passionate, conscious power And I know that the joy Of heaven and earth Is mine this holy hour. I love you, sweetheart My dainty one, With a love beyond compare And I know that all earth Is glorified Because of my mother prayer. 11 'Tis good to know That God is always near No matter what may seem The distance in between His home and mine. 'Tis good to know That truth is all supreme No matter what the load may be Upon my heart Some days. 'Tis very good to know That God's great life is dominant In all that IS That now and always there is only life God's life. 12 SOMEDAY Some day the glorious sun Will rise in stately silence And I shall not see. Some day the wondrous wind Will whisper songs in secret And I shall not hear Some day the glinting waves Will shimmer in their gladness And I shall not know But way beyond the stately rising sun And out of sound of wondrous singing breeze And far outreaching glinting shimmering sea. Someday the voice of all eternity Will call in tones of universal love to me And I shall know. 13 Come, let us enter the silence, 'Tis a beautiful realm of the free, There's no heartache or sin in the silence There's no wearisome pain in the silence Only rest for you and for me. And when we enter the silence, Let it be with love full and free For the wonderful tone in the silence And the marvelous touch of the silence Shall balance in you and me. So that when we enter the silence We shall know the truth that is free We will not think false in the silence We shall only think love in the silence That God's life may enfold you and me. 14 THE SILENCE I took me into the silence For my eyes were heavy with tears, And oh, I was aweary And life seemed dim and dreary In the chill of the onsweeping years. "Hark" said the voice of the silence; "Art sure thou hast done thy part? Has thou held thy life in gladness, Has thou cleared thy thoughts from the sadness That threatened thy weary heart? "Behold," quoth the voice in silence, "There is no sorrow and pain; 'Tis all a grievous delusion, A mighty appalling intrusion, A creation of thine own brain." "Tis with thee," crooned the voice of the silence, So steady and sweet and true. "Thou mayst crush thy heart in its fierce unrest Or give thyself to the very best That thy part of life can do." "Go tell mankind," spoke the golden voice, "Every thing rests with you — The secret of life, its success and its love, The keynote of earth and of realms above, Is that you to yourselves shall be true." 15 There's a freedom in God's loving Like the freedom of the world. There's a mercy in His wisdom Like the flag of truth unfurled And I know beyond all seeming And I've known it ages long That where souls have loved completely Love forever is their song. 16 WE No body knows but you sweetheart, Of the paths you have trodden alone, No body knows but you dear heart, Of the sorrow and grief you have known. And my soul reaches out across the worlds And my heart feels the throb of your pain For my love responds to all you have borne As I touch you and hold you again. Aye, I am alive and alert, sweetheart As I was in our dear earth home, And you will arise in spirit and truth And look in my eyes again. We shall know that together we live and love As in beautiful days agone For nothing can come between us, dear heart, We who are truly one. 17 HER KINGDOM. There was once a maid of high degree, And she was as fair as fair could be, And her eyes were as blue as the shimmering sea And her hair was the hue of gold. One day this maid of high degree Decided that she a queen would be, That queens alone were perfectly free, As free as the perfumed air. And the song she sang was of gems and gold, Of costly treasure and laces old, Of waiting maids and of warriors bold All bending to her sweet will. But alas for the dreams of the lady bright, A youth rode by on a charger white And his face shone forth a heavenly light As he gazed on the sweet fair maid. When the maiden looked in his upturned eyes, All radiant in their sweet surprise; "My kingdom is here," she joyously cries "For the king of my heart has come. 18 "Yes I'll be queen of hearts" said my lady fair. "That's the only kingdom for which I care, For love alone would I do and dare, For love will I live and die. And the song that she sang was a song of love, Of the earth beneath and of heaven above And the sweet eyes drooped as a gentle dove As she entered her queenly realm. Oh blessed youth, in thy shining eyes, Oh sweetest maid on thy fair breast lies The secrets of earth and sea and skies, Holy secrets of God's own realm. I choose my part of life, My very own. I choose my part of love, My precious part. I choose my part of work, Work in God's name. 19 I am not pleading for riches, I do not care for ease, The only thing for which I pray Is simply to do as I please. I want to do just whatever I want to, every day; And I want to say what pleases me With no one to say me nay. There's nothing else in the earth life No matter what men may say Which is so perfectly lovely As merely to have one's way. 20 THE WEST. The broadening prairie stretches wide As we sweep toward the setting sun And over its vivid enchanting space When the darkening day is done I feast my eyes as we roll along And I reach with outstretched arms Toward the beautiful realm of poem and song, To the west with its fair free charms. Oh, you of the east with its stilted poise And we of the free, wild west And they of the throbbing city life May choose which we love the best. But methinks, as we pass o'er the rolling plain And breathe its great breath so free That something from out its wild, tender heart Belongs to my soul and me. 21 I BELIEVE. It may be that God is yonder, Millions of miles away, It may be He judges you and me And never trusts us or leaves us free To live our every day, But I don't believe it. It may be that Heaven is some vast place Far in the distant sky And that you and I, if we're very good And always do the things that we should Shall get there by and bye But I don't believe it. It may be that men and women, Aye and the children too, Shall suffer thru all time eternal With pain and woe supernal For sins which they never could do But I don't believe it. I believe that God is present Now and everywhere For the work that we do and the words we say And the things we think in our hearts each day Are exactly what we are, Don't you believe it? 22 I love to believe that Heaven is home The home of this very hour And that you and I are always good And always doing the things we should In building this home of power You surely believe it. I know that men and women Aye and children the same Are reaping rewards of good they have done Of great overcoming and victories won In God's great name. God knows, — that man shall know. God frees, — and man is free. God gives, — that man may give. God loves,— and love shall be. 23 When that day comes that thou must pass my way, All earth shall make the path clear for thy feet. When it is time for thee to sing to me thy song of life, Behold I shall be waiting here thy soul to greet. 24 JUSTICE. If one might only raise his eyes to Heaven And know that God is good and all is well; If one might only reach into the distance And sense a love beyond a power to tell, He might with sweeter grace endure the sorrow Which presses on his trembling human heart, Life's lessons might not seem so deeply cruel When he with joy must part. And yet from out the mighty stillness The word arises clear as shimmering dew; Thou knowest this, oh child of doubting sorrow Thy only care is to thyself be true. Dear heart, be still and know his law is perfect, Dear child, cast all thy burdens there, For God is just and in his mighty justice Thy sorrows are His care. 25 THE FREE STAR. Yon, the star of freedom rises, Rises from a submerged sea, — Prom a sea of tortured manhood, Prom a sea of anguished mothers, And the wail of little children Children of this cruel day. Higher still the bright star rises 'Till we see its radiant flame Flame of sacrifice of manhood Flame of breaking human hearts In the lurid glaring presence Presence of this cruel war. And the star of freedom yonder Holds us tense and still Knowing that it must be finished Knowing well the price we pay Price of happiness and comfort Comfort of our lives and homes. 26 All the world is hoping, waiting Waiting for the wondrous star, Seeing that for future ages, Seeing that for countless humans Men are giving all their treasure Treasure of their hearts and lives And the glorious star is blazing Radiance for a fair free world, Shining forth in burnished promise Promise for God's wholly world World of peace and love and freedom Freedom for this newer time. •,■■■> God make us free, — Free to be true, — God make us true,- Behold we are free. 27 Come out of the dark, oh soul of me, And forget the grief that is past, For the world is calling to such as thee And the night is fading and we shall see That truth is ours at last. 'Tis a newer day, oh heart of me, For sorrow has vanished far And Life is breathing fresh and free A wonderful joy to such as we In the glory of things that are. 28 KARMA. She aimed a blow at the heart of me I bared my soul to its might. And the anguished thing lay throbbing there 'Til the day sank into the night. She lifted high her golden head As her beautiful face so fair She tore apart from the soul of me For I had enthroned it there. Some how, I think that in days agone, In the ages of long ago That I must have done this pitiful thing That I must have dealt the blow. Which today returns to the heart of me And frees the quivering thing From human idols and human loves That divine love may enter in. 29 I sang my song by the mountain side And the tone was clear and strong; In silvery waves it quivered wide, With vivid life it swept the tide And echoed long and long. For never a word of love goes forth That is lost to the human heart And never a song sweeps over the earth And never a message of living truth But lives on to do its part. 30 A PERFECT DAY. Hark to the song of a perfect day, A day of rest and love,— When the shadows of earth seem far away When hope shines forth thru a glory ray As the sun shines from above, This fair free day. And hark to the song of another day A day of storm and shine, When shadows of earth are not cleared away When life seems dark thru a misty ray Which blurs the shine divine Because of tears. And I say to my soul, why 1 must it be That perfect days are rare,— Why may not every day we see Be filled with joy for such as we, Who balance our wee share In life's great work. Ah, I see the shine of the perfect day 'Tis the day of service and love, It is I who color its vivid ray, It is I who balance its work and its play Its service and its love, God's perfect day. 31 Only a passing joyous thought Sent from a loving heart, Yet it stills an angry, hasty word And saves its crushing dart. Only a fleeting word of cheer Said with a gracious smile, But it carries a wave of happiness That makes the day worth while. Only a little kindly deed Done with a willing hand, But its goodly work will sweep along And be felt in all the land. For every deed and every word Which carries the loving thought Shall be a power in all the earth To render its woes as naught. 32 HIS BIRTHDAY. Here's to our wonderful Cornell man, With his yell from Ithaca town — And here's to his health and his beautiful life And the work which that .life shall crown, Methinks I see his kingly stride, For he knows it all you see, And my heart brims o'er with mother pride And the love of him and me. Twenty pne years for my college man, Years of pleasure and pain; Here's another toast to my precious son And his work of heart and brain. Joy to my man, my blessed man, — May his life be of use and of power May every treasure that God can give Fill its every glorious hour. 33 THE SONG OF THE SEER Behold I reach to the vaulted sky With my soul aflame with light Nor swerve I from my motive high As the beckoning star gleams call me nigh While the heart of me sings delight. Oh, the mighty secret within my heart And the marvellous things I shall say Of the world within and the world without And which are now of myself a pa^t That I've gathered along the way. With ecstatic grace I greet the sun As it welcomes the coming day Lighting the glorious work to be done 'Til the day and the night have merged into one While the earth rolls on for aye I sing the song of a love divine, Of a joy and a power untold And I chant the secrets of space and time Revealed in the light of a faith sublime As their truths to men unfold- 34 Hark to the sweep of my vivid word While it follows my fearless pen And see the glitter of unsheathed sword Revealing the coming of truth's own Lord As it calls to the children of men. We have no creed But creed of loving helpfulness. We have no law Save law of broadest charity. We have no work That does not serve the race. We have no joy Save joyous consciousness Of God. 35 God reigns in every realm Of His all interactive life; He knows the claim of souls, The call of hearts, The touch of pain in flesh despair And glory be to that great God, — He answers as he knows. Oh, child of His pure love, — Lift up thine eyes to His reply, To thy soul call, To thy heart claim And free thyself from pain And glorify thy God That he may breathe thru thee 36 ONWARD. It is not that I love thee less, dear friend, That I can bid thee go and God thee speed; It is not that thy life is far from mine That I shall miss thee thru the coming years. 'Tis only that we've lived it out, dear heart, The thing which we two lovers need to know, And other pathways that before were closed Are opening fair beside our seperate ways. How good to know that when a thing is done We pass it on and gently let it rest In other realms which need it for their own And in our own serene and certain way We choose a broader path which leads us Yonder — to a different world, with newer scenes And greater loves, — More worthy of a grander day. 37 When treasures fade from out our storehouse, When ideals shatter as they fall. When strong hearts quiver in their anguish Because the crash has taken all. Then only with the faith of childhood, Then only with the hope of youth Can men restore the darkening lovelight And know indeed this living truth. The power that rests in love's pure action, The force that moves without a flaw Divine will blends in mighty motive, With loves fulfilment of the law. 38 LIFE AND I. Life and I had a reckoning day, A day of storm and shine, When my soul upleapt to its old desires When my heart was aflame with the living fires Of the hope which then was mine. Life and I had a reckoning day, A day of smiles and tears When my soul grew steady with living hope Of greater things in God's own work Than had been in the passing years. Life and I agreed to forgive This earth childs pitiful tears, To forgive and forget and arise anew With a glorified faith and broader view Of our work in the oncoming years. 39 God measures man's unrest By hours and days and years, God is man's perfect rest Beyond all hours and years, Beyond all hopes and fears, Beyond all grief and tears In God we rest. 40 TIME So many years, oh God, so many years, And yet they stand in Thy vast time Less than my hours. How many human lives have waked And slept again in Thy vast time In all these years. How many hearts have leapt towards life And drooped again in Thy great heart In these gone days. Aye, thrice as many years have come and gone And steadily been numbered by in weeks and days Until this hour Which opens clear to me the knowing That my few days and hours and years are only dreams Of passing bondage. Again I rise to meet Thy call, dear Lord, Apart from time, awake in Thee, beyond all seeming One in Thy being. 41 There is always the way to freedom, There is always the answer to prayer, There is always the melting problem And always the sun shines fair When we open our hearts to our brother And forget our own small plan In the joy of serving each other In the helping our fellow man. 42 OFTIMES. Oftimes thru the murky dimness Shines a star with sudden gleam, Beaming forth in glint transcendant, Reaching on in rays transplendant, Bearing strength on winged beam. Sometimes we must feel the darkness, Feel its icy cruel dart, Knowing in our inmost being, Trusting far beyond the seeming, Things that crush upon the heart 'Til we know there is no darkness Yonder always is the dawn, Brilliant in its sure oncoming, Radiant in its vast onsweeping, Blessed truth from darkness born. 43 Blessed is he who sings the free song And whose chant is measured with love For his wisdom is exalted And the soul of him is aware. 44 I WOULD LIVE. I would live because I choose And not because I must And I would choose to scale The heights of heaven and the deeps of hell,— Now— now, — not some day yonder. For verily the shine of life Shall glorify its shadow, — And who would, even if he could Choose only vivid light. God, — I would be wholly Thine Because I love. And I would know the ecstacy And agony of life, — the all of it That knowing, I may be complete. 45 I want to know God's truth, To know it now. I want to do my part, To do it now, — And then, I want to plunge into The great onsurge of life, — As rushingly it sweeps thru all the earth And feel it, see it, taste it, know it, Live it, now. And then when I shall know God's truth And when 'tis time to have my very own, — I want to do the thing I'm doing now, To work and love and give the whole of me And then to give some more. 46 W 13 °o 4 V ^ ° « ° *,« » • a>* . A o ° " ° * <*U ^°^ - ^4* * • « o U° ^ A^ ^fSSfef. ^n W/}l> ^ A> * vv In>\?» aV»^ -^^m^^o «-i^ o^^^^» aV**^. ♦ • * >. r oV" o ■ • * <> V * •* .G v . ^. *••*' A ,<>V' v- 1*^ •_e^SaW»> . ■ • » o J *u* ^0' .1 /->