Invocation to Mother Earth

0 Earth! thy face hath not the grace
That smiling Heaven did bless,
When thou wert "good," and blushing stood
In thy young loveliness;
And mother dear, the smile and tear
In thee are strangely met;
Thy joy and woe together flow, —
But, ah, we love thee yet!

Thou still art fair, when morn's fresh air
Thrills with the lark's sweet song;
When Nature seems to wake from dreams,
And laugh and dance along;
Thou 'rt fair at day, when clouds all gray
Fade into glorious blue;
When sunny hours fly o'er the flowers,
And kiss away the dew.

Thou 'rt fair at eve, when skies receive
The last smiles of the sun;
When through the shades that twilight spreads
The stars peep, one by one;
Thou 'rt fair at night, when full starlight
Streams down upon the sod;
When moonlight pale, on hill and dale,
Rests like the smile of God.

And thou art grand where lakes expand,
And mighty rivers roll;
Where ocean proud, with threatenings loud,
Mocketh at man's control;
And grand thou art when lightnings dart,
And gleam athwart thy sky;
When thunders peal, and forests reel,
And storms go sweeping by.

We bless thee now, for gifts which thou
Hast freely on us shed;
For dew and showers, and beauteous flowers,
And blue skies overhead;
For morn's perfume, and mid-day's bloom,
And evening's hour of mirth;
For glorious night, for all things bright,
We bless thee, Mother Earth!

But when long years of care and tears
Have come and passed away,
The time may be when sadly we
Shall turn to thee, and say, —
"We are worn with life, its toils and strife,
We long, we pine, for rest;
We come, we come, all wearied, home, —
Room, Mother, in thy breast!"