Lionel Johnson

Related poetry:

1. Cavalier Tunes: Give a Rouse King Charles, and who’ll do him right now? King Charles, and who’s ripe for fight now? Give a rouse: here’s, in Hell’s despite now, King Charles! Who gave me the goods that went since? Who raised me the house that sank once? Who helped me to gold I spent since? Who found me in wine […]...
2. Psalm 89 The covenant made with Christ; or, The true David. For ever shall my song record The truth and mercy of the Lord; Mercy and truth for ever stand, Like heav’n, established by his hand. Thus to his Son he sware, and said, “With thee my cov’nant first is made; In thee shall dying sinners live, […]...
3. Here's a Health to King Charles Bring the bowl which you boast, Fill it up to the brim; ‘Tis to him we love most, And to all who love him. Brave gallants, stand up, And avaunt ye, base carles! Were there death in the cup, Here’s a health to King Charles. Though he wanders through dangers, Unaided, unknown, Dependent on strangers, […]...
4. Johnson's Antidote Down along the Snakebite River, where the overlanders camp, Where the serpents are in millions, all of the most deadly stamp; Where the station-cook in terror, nearly every time he bakes, Mixes up among the doughboys half-a-dozen poison-snakes: Where the wily free-selector walks in armour-plated pants, And defies the stings of scorpions, and the bites […]...
5. The Interpreter Mother of Light, and the Gods! Mother of Music, awake! Silence and speech are at odds; Heaven and Hell are at Stake. By the Rose and the Cross I conjure; I constrain by the Snake and the Sword; I am he that is sworn to endure – Bring us the word of the Lord! By […]...
6. In Examination Lo! from quiet skies In through the window my Lord the Sun! And my eyes Were dazzled and drunk with the misty gold, The golden glory that drowned and crowned me Eddied and swayed through the room. . . Around me, To left and to right, Hunched figures and old, Dull blear-eyed scribbling fools, grew […]...
7. Jehovah-Nissi. The Lord My Banner (Exodus, xvii.15) By whom was David taught To aim the deadly blow, When he Goliath fought, And laid the Gittite low? Nor sword nor spear the stripling took, But chose a pebble from the brook. ‘Twas Israel’s God and King Who sent him to the fight; Who gave him strength to sling, And skill to […]...
8. Where Is David, the Next King of Israel? Where is David? . . . O God’s people, Saul has passed, the good and great. Mourn for Saul the first-anointed – Head and shoulders o’er the state. He was found among the Prophets: Judge and monarch, merged in one. But the wars of Saul are ended And the works of Saul are done. Where […]...
9. Psalm 84 How lovely are thy dwellings fair! O Lord of Hoasts, how dear The pleasant Tabernacles are! Where thou do’st dwell so near. My Soul doth long and almost die Thy Courts O Lord to see, My heart and flesh aloud do crie, O living God, for thee. There ev’n the Sparrow freed from wrong Hath […]...
10. Psalm 118 part 4 v.24-26 C. M. Hosanna; the Lord’s day; or, Christ’s resurrection and our salvation. This is the day the Lord hath made, He calls the hours his own; Let heav’n rejoice, let earth be glad, And praise surround the throne. Today he rose and left the dead, And Satan’s empire fell; Today the saints his triumphs […]...
11. The Thorn (For the Rev. Charles L. O’Donnell, C. S. C.) The garden of God is a radiant place, And every flower has a holy face: Our Lady like a lily bends above the cloudy sod, But Saint Michael is the thorn on the rosebush of God. David is the song upon God’s lips, And Our Lady […]...
12. Serepta Mason My life’s blossom might have bloomed on all sides Save for a bitter wind which stunted my petals On the side of me which you in the village could see. From the dust I lift a voice of protest: My flowering side you never saw! Ye living ones, ye are fools indeed Who do not […]...
13. Roses (For Katherine Bregy) I went to gather roses and twine them in a ring, For I would make a posy, a posy for the King. I got an hundred roses, the loveliest there be, From the white rose vine and the pink rose bush and from the red Rose tree. But when I took my […]...
14. Psalm 118 v.22-27 S. M. An hosanna for the Lord’s day; or, A new song of salvation by Christ. See what a living stone The builders did refuse; Yet God hath built his church thereon, In spite of envious Jews. The scribe and angry priest Reject thine only Son; Yet on this Rock shall Zion rest, As […]...
15. Psalm 89 part 1 The faithfulness of God. My never-ceasing songs shall show The mercies of the Lord; And make succeeding ages know How faithful is his word. The sacred truths his lips pronounce Shall firm as heav’n endure; And if he speak a promise once, Th’ eternal grace is sure. How long the race of David held The […]...
16. If I Were King I often wish I were a King, And then I could do anything. If only I were King of Spain, I’d take my hat off in the rain. If only I were King of France, I wouldn’t brush my hair for aunts. I think, if I were King of Greece, I’d push things off the […]...
17. The Voice of Toil I heard men saying, Leave hope and praying, All days shall be as all have been; To-day and to-morrow bring fear and sorrow, The never-ending toil between. When Earth was younger mid toil and hunger, In hope we strove, and our hands were strong; Then great men led us, with words they fed us, And […]...
18. Hymn 16 Part 2 The enjoyment of Christ; or, Delight in ordinances. Lord, what a heav’n of saving grace Shines through the beauties of thy face, And lights our passions to a flame! Lord, how we love thy charming name! When I can say, “My God is mine,” When I can feel thy glories shine, I tread the world […]...
19. Voltaire Johnson Why did you bruise me with your rough places If you did not want me to tell you about them? And stifle me with your stupidities, If you did not want me to expose them? And nail me with the nails of cruelty, If you did not want me to pluck the nails forth And […]...
20. To M Oh! did those eyes, instead of fire, With bright, but mild affection shine: Though they might kindle less desire, Love, more than mortal, would be thine. For thou art form’d so heavenly fair, Howe’er those orbs may wildly beam, We must admire, but still despair; That fatal glance forbids esteem. When Nature stamp’d thy beauteous […]...
21. He came unto His own, and His own received Him not As Christ the Lord was passing by, He came, one night, to a cottage door. He came, a poor man, to the poor; He had no bed whereon to lie. He asked in vain for a crust of bread, Standing there in the frozen blast. The door was locked and bolted fast. ‘Only a beggar!’ […]...
22. I Shall Not Burn I have done with love and lust, I reck not for gold or fame; I await familiar dust These frail fingers to reclaim: Not for me the tiger flame. Not for me the furnace glow, Rage of fire and ashen doom; To sweet earth my bones bestow Where above a lowly tomb January roses bloom. […]...
23. Modern Love XLVIII: Their Sense Their sense is with their senses all mixed in, Destroyed by subleties these women are! More brain, O Lord, more brain! or we shall mar Utterly this fair garden we might win. Behold! I looked for peace, and thought it near. Our inmost hearts had opened, each to each. We drank the pure daylight of […]...
24. In Memory of Rupert Brooke In alien earth, across a troubled sea, His body lies that was so fair and young. His mouth is stopped, with half his songs unsung; His arm is still, that struck to make men free. But let no cloud of lamentation be Where, on a warrior’s grave, a lyre is hung. We keep the echoes […]...
25. The Proud Poet (For Shaemas O Sheel) One winter night a Devil came and sat upon my bed, His eyes were full of laughter for his heart was full of crime. “Why don’t you take up fancy work, or embroidery?” he said, “For a needle is as manly a tool as a pen that makes a rhyme!” “You […]...
26. Hymn 23 part 2 A hopeful youth falling short of heaven. Mark 10:21. Must all the charms of nature, then, So hopeless to salvation prove? Can hell demand, can heav’n condemn, The man whom Jesus deigns to love? The man who sought the ways of truth, Paid friends and neighbors all their due; A modest, sober, lovely youth, And […]...
27. The two little skeezucks There were two little skeezucks who lived in the isle Of Boo in a southern sea; They clambered and rollicked in heathenish style In the boughs of their cocoanut tree. They didn’t fret much about clothing and such And they recked not a whit of the ills That sometimes accrue From having to do With […]...
28. Psalm 77 part 2 Comfort derived from ancient providences. “How awful is thy chast’ning rod!” May thy own children say: “The great, the wise, the dreadful God! How holy is his way!” I’ll meditate his works of old, The King that reigns above; I’ll hear his ancient wonders told, And learn to trust his love. Long did the house […]...
29. Psalm 92 part 1 A Psalm for the Lord’s day. Sweet is the work, my God, my King, To praise thy name, give thanks and sing, To show thy love by morning light, And talk of all thy truth at night. Sweet is the day of sacred rest, No mortal cares shall seize my breast; O may my heart […]...
30. Psalm 80 The church’s prayer under affliction; or, The vineyard of God wasted. Great Shepherd of thine Israel, Who didst between the cherubs dwell, And lead the tribes, thy chosen sheep, Safe through the desert and the deep; Thy church is in the desert now, Shine from on high and guide us through; Turn us to thee, […]...
31. Apostrophe Of RISPAH. (who had been the concubine of King SAUL) when DAVID hanged her children, because their father had done amiss. From morn to eve from eve to rosy morn, On this bleak rock I’ll lay me all forlorn; Here will I stay, tho’ tempests frown around, Fierce lightnings glare, or earthquakes rock the ground. […]...
32. Out of White Lips OUT of white lips a question: Shall seven million dead ask for their blood a little land for the living wives and children, a little land for the living brothers and sisters? Out of white lips:-Shall they have only air that sweeps round the earth for breath of their nostrils and no footing on the […]...
33. Hymn 3 The nativity of Christ. Luke 1:30ff; 2:10ff Behold, the grace appears! The promise is fulfilled; Mary, the wondrous virgin, bears, And Jesus is the child. [The Lord, the highest God, Calls him his only Son; He bids him rule the lands abroad, And gives him David’s throne. O’er Jacob shall he reign With a peculiar […]...
34. The Sluggard A jar of cider and my pipe, In summer, under shady tree; A book by one that made his mind Live by its sweet simplicity: Then must I laugh at kings who sit In richest chambers, signing scrolls; And princes cheered in public ways, And stared at by a thousand fools. Let me be free […]...
35. 311. On the Birth of a Posthumous Child SWEET flow’ret, pledge o’ meikle love, And ward o’ mony a prayer, What heart o’ stane wad thou na move, Sae helpless, sweet, and fair? November hirples o’er the lea, Chill, on thy lovely form: And gane, alas! the shelt’ring tree, Should shield thee frae the storm. May He who gives the rain to pour, […]...
36. Psalm 35 part 2 v.12-14 C. M. Love to enemies. Behold the love, the gen’rous love, That holy David shows; Hark, how his sounding bowels move To his afflicted foes! When they are sick his soul complains, And seems to feel the smart; The spirit of the gospel reigns, And melts his pious heart. How did his flowing tears […]...
37. Hymn 13 The Son of God incarnate. Isa. 9:2,6,7. The lands that long in darkness lay Now have beheld a heav’nly light; Nations that sat in death’s cold shade Are blessed with beams divinely bright. The virgin’s promised Son is born, Behold th’ expected child appear: What shall his names or titles be? “The Wonderful, the Counsellor.” […]...
38. Hymn 49 The works of Moses and the Lamb. Rev. 15:3. How strong thine arm is, mighty God! Who would not fear thy name? Jesus, how sweet thy graces are! Who would not love the Lamb? He has done more than Moses did, Our Prophet and our King; From bonds of hell he freed our souls, And […]...
39. Song of the Fifth River “The Treasure and the Low” Puck of Pook’s Hills. Where first by Eden Tree The Four Great Rivers ran, To each was appointed a Man Her Prince and Ruler to be. But after this was ordained (The ancient legends’ tell), There came dark Israel, For whom no River remained. Then He Whom the Rivers obey […]...
40. Psalm 02 Done Aug. 8. 1653. Terzetti. Why do the Gentiles tumult, and the Nations Muse a vain thing, the Kings of th’earth upstand With power, and Princes in their Congregations Lay deep their plots together through each Land, Against the Lord and his Messiah dear. Let us break off; say they, by strength of hand Their […]...