White thy sands, as bleached by sunshine;
Wild the waves that lash thy shore.
Giant whales are ever spouting;
Steamers churn thy waters o'er.
Wild the waves that lash thy shore.
Giant whales are ever spouting;
Steamers churn thy waters o'er.
Far within thy mighty caverns.
Wealth untold lies buried deep;
Here lie hearts once loved and loving,
Lulled to everlasting sleep.
Wealth untold lies buried deep;
Here lie hearts once loved and loving,
Lulled to everlasting sleep.
1921
San Francisco
O city proud, by Vulcan overthrown!
We saw thy stately homes that crowned the hill,
Ere swept by breath of deadly seething flames,
That fearful night, whose thought is with us still.
We saw thy stately homes that crowned the hill,
Ere swept by breath of deadly seething flames,
That fearful night, whose thought is with us still.
Here fronts the setting sun yon Golden Gate,
While widemouthed guns the mighty waters sweep,
In ceaseless guard against all alien foes;
And watchful eyes their constant vigil keep.
While widemouthed guns the mighty waters sweep,
In ceaseless guard against all alien foes;
And watchful eyes their constant vigil keep.
At night we gaze upon the distant stars,
And turn our lens on moon now dead and cold.
From off his peaks we see great shadows thrown,
Where Vulcan wrought in caverns deep and old.
And turn our lens on moon now dead and cold.
From off his peaks we see great shadows thrown,
Where Vulcan wrought in caverns deep and old.
Farewell, thou paradise beside the sea!
Farewell thy genial clime, thy sunkissed flowers,
Thy vineclad homes, thy brightly trellised walls,
Thy stately palms, thy still and shady bowers!
Farewell thy genial clime, thy sunkissed flowers,
Thy vineclad homes, thy brightly trellised walls,
Thy stately palms, thy still and shady bowers!
Full oft in lonely nights I dream of thee,
Of precious pearls we sought beside the bay.
For thus in life rare gems forgotten be;
We idly cast them one by one away.
Of precious pearls we sought beside the bay.
For thus in life rare gems forgotten be;
We idly cast them one by one away.
1921
A Vision
Approach, ye fiends of Vulcan's horde;
To gloat o'er wrecks of homes o'erthrown!
On yonder Hill* the ashes mark,
Where yesterday sweet flowers were grown.
To gloat o'er wrecks of homes o'erthrown!
On yonder Hill* the ashes mark,
Where yesterday sweet flowers were grown.
Did Pluto shake his fiery head,
And bid his seismic forces rise,
That wrapped yon Hill,* where beauty dwelt,,
In sheets of flame that reached the skies?
And bid his seismic forces rise,
That wrapped yon Hill,* where beauty dwelt,,
In sheets of flame that reached the skies?
And thou, old Vulcan, in thy rage
Hast wrought thy will beside the sea;
Now children seek for loved and lost,
Where happy homes were wont to be.
Hast wrought thy will beside the sea;
Now children seek for loved and lost,
Where happy homes were wont to be.
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