Voice of Flowers/The Emigrant Daisy

by Lydia Huntley Sigourney

THE EMIGRANT DAISY.

Once, from its home in England's*^[1] soil,
    A daisy's root I drew,
Amid whose moistened crown of leaves
    A healthful bud crept through,
And whispered in its infant ear
    That it should cross the sea,
A cherished emigrant, and share
    A western home with me.

Methought it shrank, at first, and paled;
    But when on ocean's tide
Strong waves and awful icebergs frowned,
    And manly courage died,
It calmly reared its crested head
    And smiled amid the storm,
As if old Magna Charta's soul
    Inspired its fragile form.

So where within my garden plat,
    I sow the choicest seed,
Amid my favorite shrubs I placed
    The plant from Runnimede.
And know not why it may not draw
    Sweet nutriment, the same
As when within that noble clime
    From whence our fathers came.

Here's liberty enough for all,
    If they but use it well,
And Magna Charta's spirit lives
    In even the lowliest cell,
And the simplest daisy may unfold
    From scorn and danger freed,
So make yourself at home, my friend,
    My flower from Runnimede.

1. * This daisy was taken from the spot, often visited by travellers, where King John signed the Magna Charta in 1215.