Poems (Gould, 1833)/Warning from the Gold Mine
WARNING FROM THE GOLD MINE.
Ye who rend my bed of earth,Mark me! from my lowly birth,Ye to light in me will bringWhat will rise to be your king!I shall rule with tyrant sway,Till ye rue my natal dayHigh and low my power shall own,For I'll make the world my throne!
And my worshippers shall beMartyrs, dupes, or slaves to me.Love and friendship, on the wayTo their idol, they will slay.Conscience—I will still her cry;Truth for me shall bleed and die!I will prove a chain to bindDown to earth the immortal mind!
Though ye try me by the fire,This will only heat my ire.Though my form ye oft may change,'T will but give me wider range!For my sake the poor shall feelOn his face, his neighbor's heel.Then I'll turn, and, taking wing,Leave with avarice but a sting!
I will be a spur to crime,Ye shall sell your peace through time;And a long eternityOf remorse shall come, for me!Now I'm here without defence;But, if once I'm taken hence,Man shall eat the bitter fruitSpringing from a golden root!