THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES
 
 MEADOW-LA RK 
 AND OTHER POEMS 
 
 BY 
 JENNIE KIEFER 
 
 PUBLISHED BY 
 
 The Parsifal Press 
 
 LOS ANGELES
 
 DEDICATED TO 
 ALL FRIENDS OF THE 
 
 M E A DOW-LA RK 
 
 610467 
 
 LIBRARY
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 A DAY IN JUNE 26 
 
 BLUE DRAGON OCEAN 20 
 
 DRIFT WOOD 1 7 
 
 LESSONS 27 
 
 LOVE 33 
 
 LUNA 3 
 
 MEADOW LARK 1 
 
 MR. SUNSHINE 15 
 
 MY RELIGION 31 
 
 OUR BOBBIE 10 
 
 PASSING 29 
 
 SILVER BELLS 1 6 
 
 TEAL 24 
 
 THE ARCHER 5 
 
 THE CHAUFFEUR 1 3 
 THE FLAG ON THE COURTHOUSE 1 4 
 
 THE FORTRESS CASTLE 2 
 
 THE LINNETS 25 
 THE MISSION OF THE OREGON 6 
 
 T. R. 12
 
 MEADOW-LARK! 
 
 Meadow-lark, in beauty dressed 
 Wood-brown coat and primrose vest, 
 
 Loving meadows wide and sweet, 
 Where no arching branches meet, 
 
 Naught to check thine upward gaze, 
 Through the long, bright summer days. 
 
 Is it world-old pain that wells, 
 In thy heart 'neath asphodels? 
 
 Did thy love from English lane, 
 Soar to heaven on liquid strain? 
 
 Seeks thy heart in song relief 
 Lest the meadows know thy grief? 
 
 Would'st thou lure, by that sweet note, 
 Sky-lark love from clouds remote?- 
 
 Ease thy heart with that refrain, 
 Flute-like: "She will come again!"
 
 THE FORTRESS-CASTLE 
 
 Its peaceful grandeur, age on age, 
 The ruined castle shows; 
 
 Nor warder's call, nor arrow's flight 
 Assails its deep repose. 
 
 The rooks that circle wide at dawn 
 Home trend with waning light, 
 
 And broken tower and donjon keep 
 Are hearthstone loved at night. 
 
 The ivy presses heart to heart 
 
 The walls that knighthood reared, 
 
 And clasps in loving, arms each stone 
 That valorous souls endeared. 
 
 And age on age, like rooks that throng, 
 Trend knightly hearts in quest 
 
 Of shrines, where glorious valour dwelt, 
 And love that valour blessed.
 
 LUNA 
 
 From wondrous temple of the Sun, 
 
 The Earth with Luna fled; 
 Through darkest night, o'er ether plains 
 ' The radiant wanderers sped. 
 
 Nine times ten-million miles were told, 
 Since loud the temple rang, 
 
 And brazen gates were outward flung 
 Then shut with thunderous clang. 
 
 Still with the joy of ways untried, 
 And youth, and hearts of fire, 
 
 The wanderers, self-illumed and free, 
 Nor time nor space could tire. 
 
 But distance dimmed the altar-glow 
 All noble souls are true 
 
 And now the wanderers' faltering hearts 
 The exile's anguish knew. 
 
 When strong wills yield, the hour 
 
 has struck 
 For Primal Power to guide; 
 
 3
 
 And being, led by unseen hand, 
 Finds naught of worth denied. 
 
 Four times ten-million years are told, 
 Still Earth with Luna sweet 
 
 O'er primrose pathway through the skies, 
 The vows of youth repeat. 
 
 The ardent Earth, Time's record keeps 
 In beauteous Seasons' flight; 
 
 And Luna's face, in lilied grace, 
 Reflects the altar-light.
 
 THE ARCHER 
 
 The Archer bent his strongest bow 
 And deftly launched his keenest dart, 
 The shining barb with keen intent 
 Plunged deep into a steel-chilled heart 
 
 The cleavage of that chilled-steel heart 
 No art nor dart before had found, 
 Small wonder, then, that panic spread 
 Through inky pages, vellum bound, 
 
 That Blackstone tumbled from his shelf, 
 
 And dust-grimed tomes were thun 
 dering hurled, 
 
 That chaos reigned and ruin spread; 
 
 Such cause, ere this, had wrecked 
 a world. 
 
 The carnage, pillage, conflict o'er, 
 Aloft enthroned sat Cupid's self; 
 While Attic sage, in happiest mood, 
 Kicked Law and Blackstone 'neath 
 the shelf.
 
 THE MISSION OF THE OREGON 
 
 (One of the finest armored cruisers of the United States navy is to 
 make the run from San Francisco around the Horn to the Atlantic 
 fleet. But the trip will not arouse the world like the journey of the 
 Oregon during the Spanish-American war, with Captain Clark 
 on the bridge. That was an epoch-making journey. 
 
 Los Angeles Times, August 2 3, 1910.) 
 
 White heat, and hammer's smothering 
 blows, 
 
 Their Titan wills have sped, 
 And steel with steel, in giant strength, 
 
 The lightning-bolts have wed. 
 
 And now in San Francisco's Bay 
 
 An armored cruiser rides, 
 Who waits impatient for the bells 
 
 That chant for swelling tides. 
 
 Long vigils o'er, Valkyrie-like 
 With youthful heart elate, 
 
 The Oregon - her vows to keep - 
 Clears wide the Golden Gate! 
 
 Far out ! sealed orders bid the stress, 
 No power that helps nor bars;
 
 Alone on ocean's shoreless waste, 
 No convoy but the stars. 
 
 A nation's message ! Noble ship, 
 Guard well the written scroll, 
 
 Ten thousand miles of stubborn seas 
 Between thee and thy goal. 
 
 Sea-mountains rise, her course to stay, 
 Then swing and lash and wrack, 
 
 To wreathe their garlands, sea-foam white, 
 And fling them round her track. 
 
 Soft Juring airs from Tropic Isles 
 
 With siren sweets are sent 
 O'erwhelming all the sense and soul, 
 
 Like spice with attar blent. 
 
 Then gales sweep on in fearful might, 
 The heavens and waters reel, 
 
 And stricken seas and stricken hearts 
 The Powers of Darkness feel. 
 
 Now well for thee, O valiant ship, 
 By wave and tempest tried, 
 
 7
 
 Thy builder spurned the rotten steel 
 As thou the seething tide. 
 
 No broken screws nor sluing bolts, 
 To make thy timbers start; 
 
 Each gliding shaft with joy obeys 
 Thine engine's throbbing heart. 
 
 In southern seas where ice-fleets launch, 
 Beneath the Southern Cross, 
 
 An omen from the skies descends: 
 The white-winged albatross. 
 
 Magellan's tortuous Strait is won, 
 Again the wide seas bound, 
 
 Again the midnight watcher lone 
 
 The North-star's light has found. 
 
 Now foes may lurk, a hostile fleet 
 In sheltering waters bides, 
 
 And warily her armored breast 
 The leaden seas divides. 
 
 The goal is reached where Moro's rock 
 Defiant greets the main
 
 And alien hands rule alien hearts 
 Beneath the flag of Spain. 
 
 In sulphurous smoke the message speeds, 
 Writ large, the world to tell, 
 
 The light that makes the meaning plain 
 Is burning Christobel! 
 
 Her mission o'er, the Oregon, 
 All samite-robed, elate, 
 
 Turns westward to beloved shores, 
 And far-off Golden Gate !
 
 OUR BOBBIE 
 
 (.The author prizes greatly the following charming note of ac 
 knowledgement from Admiral Robley D. Evans: 
 "Dear Mrs. Kiefer,- Please accept my thanks for the very grace 
 ful and beautiful lines you were good enough to send me. 
 
 "Sincerely yours, 
 
 "R. D.Evans.") 
 
 U. S. Esquire one mornin' 
 
 Havin' grown so big and grand 
 
 That by lookin' twice or three times 
 Couldn't see across his land - 
 
 Said to Mr. Bob, his boatman: 
 
 "Jes* sail around and see 
 If my farms, plantations, ranches, 
 
 Are as safe as safe can be, 
 
 "For I don't want any crowdin,' 
 Any poachin' on my land, 
 
 By neighbors 'cross the ocean, 
 Mr. Bob, you understand!" 
 
 And Mr. Bob, he sabe'd, 
 
 Like one Dewey that he knew, 
 
 And bucklin' up some war-ships, 
 
 10
 
 Went a sailin' of the blue. 
 
 Our Bobbie sailed, and sailin' 
 
 Dropped his anchor at the door 
 
 Of many a friendly neighbor, 
 
 That had greeted him before. 
 
 Oh ! the fleet was all so gallant, 
 
 And the scene was all so new, 
 
 That Magellan's Strait jes' widened, 
 Fur to let the gunners through. 
 
 Our Bobbie shot at targets 
 
 Till the skies were reekin' black, 
 And the neighbors - 'cross the ocean 
 
 Smilin' - took another tack ! 
 
 Bobbie Evans, you're commander 
 Of a fleet that's hard to beat, 
 
 Your flag-ship sails straight through our 
 
 hearts, 
 Your victory is complete! 
 
 it
 
 T. R. 
 
 Tell the news the good world 'round, 
 Teddy Roosevelt's homeward bound ! 
 
 Heart within his hand he brings, 
 Warm for commons as for kings. 
 
 Wearing neither badge nor sign 
 Of his rank or creed or line; 
 
 Just a wise and honest man, 
 Built on Freedom's finished plan. 
 
 Loving toil and loving strife, 
 On the San Juan hills of life; 
 
 Blazing trails through jungles' might 
 To the broad veldt's air and light; 
 
 Purpose high, and aim as true 
 As the Afric lion knew; 
 
 Dealing fair and square and right -- 
 Just a great soul, in its might 
 
 Helping on the nobler plan 
 Of the brotherhood of man. 
 12
 
 THE CHAUFFEUR 
 No longer on the "Field of Mars" 
 
 Alone, are heroes bred; 
 No longer 'neath the heel of war 
 
 Alone, the turf is red, 
 
 For chauffeur hosts are charging down, 
 The wayside flowers are red - 
 
 The wage of battle fills the land: 
 The dying and the dead. 
 
 San Gabriel's horn the echoes wakes, 
 On highways near and far 
 
 Stand wide ! a conquering hero comes 
 Triumphant in his car! 
 
 No space on earth for careless feet, 
 Where sleuth-like autos roam; 
 
 To cross their path means quick dispatch 
 To your eternal home. 
 
 ,3
 
 THE FLAG ON THE COURT-HOUSE 
 It dips its colors to the dawn, 
 
 It hails all winds that blow, 
 And ruddier in the western light 
 
 Its bars of valor glow. 
 
 The patriot's lifted gaze discerns 
 The blue, the red, the white, 
 
 But shot through field and stars and bars 
 With Freedom's golden light. 
 
 Re-visioned, it is Valley Forge, 
 'Tis Yorktown, Brandywine, 
 
 'Tis Washington, 'tis Lafayette, 
 *Tis patriots' marching line. 
 
 'Tis Freedom lifted to the skies, 
 Pre-visioned Patriots saw, 
 
 'Tis Freedom, Liberty - restrained 
 By halyards of the Law. 
 
 14
 
 MR. SUNSHINE 
 
 Mr. Sunshine! Mr. Sunshine!! 
 
 Please to tumble out of bed, 
 Bundle up your cloudy bed-clothes, 
 
 Pitch them at the mountain's head. 
 
 O you dear old rosy Sunshine ! 
 
 Come to breakfast, come to s/oy, 
 Life is drear when you're not with us ! 
 
 From your sweet-heart, 
 
 Miss L. A.
 
 SILVER BELLS 
 All night the snow fell thick and fast, 
 The skies their gentle burden cast 
 
 On boughs and roofs and home-walled 
 
 streets, 
 Where traffic toils and pleasure fleets; 
 
 Then o'er the carded whiteness threw 
 A sheen more rare than art e'er knew, 
 
 When Dawn from cloister, fair and young, 
 The gates of Darkness backward flung, 
 
 The world in dazzling beauty spread, 
 And Day went forth with muffled tread; 
 
 Then, sweeter far than language tells, 
 Rang out the chime of silver bells. 
 
 What bells within my heart keep time 
 When sweet strung-bells of silver chime ? 
 
 Some morn, far off, my heart will know 
 Why silver chimes such joy bestow. 
 
 In far-off skies where rapture dwells 
 I'll hear once more those silver bells. 
 
 16
 
 DRIFT-WOOD 
 [Dedicated to L S.] 
 
 The light boat, like a cygnet, dipped 
 To blue Mendota's wave, 
 
 And youthful vikings sought the coves 
 Mendota's waters lave, 
 
 For wind and wave, free-booters wild, 
 Had gathered drift-wood store, 
 
 And into coves and inlets deep 
 Their garnered treasure bore. 
 
 Not fairer, Ellen of the Isle 
 
 Than she, whose light oar plied 
 
 In time to kinsman's lengthened stroke, 
 O'er waters deep and wide. 
 
 They gathered faggots, lichened o'er 
 With woodland memories dear, 
 
 And homeward bore, with toiling oar, 
 For wide hearth's evening cheer. 
 
 frosts and shadows closer crept, 
 In crackling driftwood blaze 
 
 17
 
 To light and life once more came forth 
 The scenes of by-gone days. 
 
 From Black Hawk Point the deer, pursued, 
 
 In beauty cleft the wave, 
 And darkling waters joyous leapt, 
 
 The antlered life to save. 
 
 The muskrat builded strong and well 
 
 His castle, moated deep; 
 And safely slept, a baron bold, 
 
 Within his donjon keep. 
 
 With lore of wood, the birch canoe 
 Was fashioned strong and light; 
 
 With Indian craft, the arrow-heads 
 Outsped the wild bird's flight. 
 
 The springtime came with glorious life, 
 And call like wood-dove loud 
 
 A wild heart heard, and dusky cheek 
 Outshone the sunset cloud. 
 
 The Indian summers came and went, 
 The harvest moons grew bold, 
 
 18
 
 The giant forests cast their shields 
 And dared the winter's cold; 
 
 The Seasons brought their full-armed gifts 
 From forest, field and waves; 
 
 And wild and sweet, the life that beat 
 Around these Indian graves. 
 
 The drift-wood smoldered, whitened, fell; 
 
 The Night Wind downward crept, 
 And from the hearth, with gentle hand, 
 
 The furrowed ashes swept. 
 
 Then Helen's dreaming heart beheld 
 A scene most dear the last 
 
 Like smoke of Peace-Pipe drifted wide 
 The Spirit of the Past. 
 
 19
 
 BLUE DRAGON-OCEAN 
 
 With breathings deep and bellowings on 
 
 the shore, 
 
 Blue Dragon-Ocean clutches at the land, 
 And seeks to drag to protoplasmic night 
 All patient Time has wrought, or destined 
 
 being planned. 
 
 Chained by a law, eternal and serene, 
 
 It strains its fettered limbs when full moon 
 
 bides, 
 The strong will breaks on headlands bleak 
 
 and bold, 
 Then foiled and beaten, raging, backward 
 
 glides. 
 
 Its dazzling helmet rests where ice-floes 
 
 start, 
 Where Arctic monsters range, and penguin 
 
 calls, 
 Where quivering Boreal-lights wierd vigils 
 
 keep 
 
 20
 
 And deck in fearful splendor vast celestial 
 walls. 
 
 To far Antarctic bourne it sinuous wends, 
 Where petrel screams, whose soul is tem 
 pest-tossed, 
 Lest 'mid the waste of Polar nights and 
 
 snows, 
 Its all of light and life, its one dear mate is 
 
 lost. 
 
 Its scales are blinding in the noon-day sun, 
 
 At morn and eve the steel-blue armor 
 gleams; 
 
 From it, when silvered by the moonlight 
 pale 
 
 And gemmed with countless stars, un 
 earthly beauty streams. 
 
 Lashed by sirrocco's breath, or fell simoom 
 Its heavy undulous bulk resents the blow, 
 And mountainous heavings show the 
 
 Dragon's blood 
 In warmer currents through arterial gulf- 
 
 21
 
 streams flow. 
 
 When Trade-winds wild o'er trackless 
 
 highways fleet, 
 And ships go down to night and rayless 
 
 day, 
 No more the Dragon heeds the loss and 
 
 wreck, 
 
 Than were it gliding seal, or dolphin at his 
 play. 
 
 Anon the angered heavens reach down to 
 
 smite, 
 And sabers flash, and thunderous blows 
 
 resound, 
 
 Far off the tumult rolls, the armor's clang 
 Ensanguined heavens proclaim how wide 
 
 the Dragon's wound. 
 
 When every grain of sand on every shore 
 In glass of Time its heavenly message 
 brings, 
 
 22
 
 The Dragon-Ocean, free, unchained, shall 
 
 soar, 
 Transmuted up to Heaven, on wide-spread 
 
 misty wings. 
 
 23
 
 TEAL 
 
 Swift wings, and spirits free, that love 
 Through ether fields to roam, 
 
 And nestling close when night conies 
 
 down 
 Make sedgy pools thy home 
 
 Take heed ! The hunter marks thy flight, 
 Knows where thy hearth-fires glow, 
 
 His lead may pierce thy gentle heart, 
 Forgive! he loves thee so! 
 
 24
 
 THE LINNETS 
 
 Chilling winds of March were sweeping 
 O'er the misty sea and land; 
 
 Lost the sky-ways of the linnet, 
 
 Lost the sea-gull's Lovers' Strand. 
 
 'Neath my window in the shadows 
 
 Where the hedge and palings meet, 
 
 Sconced in jeweled cypress leafage, 
 Lissome voices wafted sweet. 
 
 Little wings had found a roof-tree, - 
 
 Sheltered safe from storm and night, 
 
 Wistful hearts could wait in patience 
 For tomorrow's warmth and light. 
 
 25
 
 A DAY IN JUNE 
 
 Steel-clad the Dawn, - a mail-ed knight 
 For tourney, joust, or valor bound; 
 
 High heart and warm, our Launcelot, 
 "Best-loved of all our table-round." 
 
 High Noon, and chaliced Eshcol wine 
 
 Is poured o'er mountain, wold and 
 mere, 
 
 Entrancing airs o'erwhelm and bless, 
 
 Day dies -our "matchless Guinevere." 
 
 26
 
 LESSONS 
 
 I come, O ways of spring, to greet 
 The tulip, crocus, asphodel, 
 
 To bind my soul with loving touch 
 
 To glories which their beauties tell. 
 
 Winds of night, your unbound mantles 
 
 brush 
 My spirit, toiling upward through the dark; 
 
 1 know your anguish and your deep unrest, 
 Your earth-life longing for the Perfect Day. 
 
 O little brook, in lessons deep and wide 
 Your swift and yielding ways my soul in 
 struct : 
 
 Never in stagnant pools your spirit bides, 
 But forths to greater being, greater bliss. 
 
 27
 
 Beloved Hills, you too have felt 
 
 The cosmic fires, fierce and pent; 
 
 But now for you the lifted dawn, 
 
 For you is lengthened glory sent. 
 
 O Autumn spirit, now the meaning plain 
 Of husbandry of sunshine, breeze and rain 
 In treasure-seeking roots, and upward- 
 gleaming grain. 
 
 28
 
 PASSING 
 
 The temple was deserted. The High 
 Altar of the Heart was fallen ! The case 
 ments whence the soul looked forth to 
 bind or loose, to bless or ban, were closed 
 and barred. 
 
 The erstwhile ministrant with swift 
 and noiseless footsteps had departed, leav 
 ing no tidings whence the command, 
 whither the journeying, when the hoped 
 return. 
 
 Sometime votary, blinded and stunn 
 ed, groping like Nydia with extended 
 hand, fain would detain by force or plead 
 ings the departing soul. 
 
 The yielding wall let in the cool, em 
 bracing, silent air. 
 
 Silent all answering things when 
 Light and Life and Love wreathed arms: 
 the sunlit hills, enfolding vales, the wel 
 coming uplands flung with cloth-of-gold, 
 
 29
 
 the living rocks climbing to heaven, close 
 breath of pine,wide-spread or folded wing, 
 swift messenger from flower to flower, the 
 censer-swinging breeze, - all dumb, apart, 
 as if the soul of all things too had fled. 
 
 Death is common? Ay, plenteous as 
 the stars; but in the Passing, to the riven 
 soul, a tidal wave engulfs the world, and 
 leaves it tenantless. 
 
 30
 
 MY RELIGION 
 
 O Soul that bears with seeming loss, 
 For kindred souls the heavy cross,- 
 
 Like one who gathered to his heart 
 
 The spears which made the life-blood start, 
 
 That rubies from his affluent veins 
 Might ransome Liberty in chains - 
 
 Hast thou in time the meaning guessed, 
 Of bruis-ed feet and wounded breast? 
 
 Tell o'er the scheme of life, and show 
 Why hearts must bleed, why tears must 
 flow. 
 
 " The seed will be a seed, till sun 
 
 And soil and rain their work have done ; 
 
 n In branch and leaf and flower expressed 
 Is meaning in the seed confessed. 
 
 "Take heed, for in thy being dwells 
 The need which every change compels. 
 
 31
 
 "Perhaps for thee, the earthquake shock, 
 The lightning-bolt, the hidden rock. 
 
 " Whate*er the cost, thyself must know 
 The lesson taught in joy and woe. 
 
 "Perfected being, is the quest 
 
 The goal - of every earth-bound guest. n 
 
 32
 
 LOVE 
 
 Love wrought, and Toil forgot the load, 
 Forgot the heavy stinging goad. 
 
 Love wrought, and Sorrow joyous sped, 
 Where rocks had torn and thorns had bled. 
 
 Love wrought, and back from wrong and 
 
 blame 
 With heart of gold the wandering came. 
 
 33
 
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