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“My Native Land, My Tennessee!”
[Written for Mrs. W. Barrow]
THE SUNSET flings upon the sea | |
| Its golden gush of life and light; | |
| The waves with pleasant melody | |
| On the white sands are sparkling bright; | |
| Old Ocean, round his many isles, | 5 |
| Like a fair infant sleeping, smiles: | |
| So would I sleep, and dream of thee, | |
| My own, my native land, my Tennessee! | |
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| Tall mountains with their snowy cones, | |
| Far inland, bathed in sunshine, blaze; | 10 |
| Like gray-haired giants on their thrones, | |
| Crowned with the young dawn’s golden rays | |
| Toward them I lean, and fain would lie | |
| At the feet of those that pierce thy sky, | |
| Thou dearest land on earth to me, | 15 |
| My own, my native land, my Tennessee! | |
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| Landward and swift the sea-bird flies, | |
| Dipping his strong and nervous wings | |
| In the blue wave, as home he hies, | |
| A truant, from his wanderings. | 20 |
| He goes to seek his gentle mate, | |
| His young, with longing eyes that wait: | |
| So would I fain haste home to thee, | |
| My own, my native land, my Tennessee! | |
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| Existence! ’t is but toil and strife,— | 25 |
| Yet I ’ll not murmur or repine, | |
| So that the sunset of my life, | |
| Sweet day, be clear and calm as thine; | |
| So that I take my last, long rest, | |
| Dear native land, in thy loved breast: | 30 |
| Land of the gallant and the free! | |
| My native, native land, my Tennessee! | |
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