Page:The Poets and Poetry of the West.djvu/73

 1820-30.] MICAH P. FLINT. 57 Fresh smoking with its rude repast, And grouped iu converse, here and there, Were seen the men, whose hoary hair Told that the fire of youth had past. There, too, in neatest garb arrayed, Were many a happy youth and maid. Some sat retired, to say and hear Things only meant for love's own ear ; While others turned with conscious glance To join the merry-footed dance. Thei-e, too, around the blazing fires, O'er which the bubbling caldrons boiled. The slave, alternate, danced and toiled, Now sung the rude song of his sires ; Though on his ear its wild sounds rung. Like accents from a foreign tongue, Now with his little ladle dipped The liquid sweet, and slowly sipped As though he lingered on the taste, And now with skill and nicest care, Drew ofi" the thick and grainy paste, To form its crystals in the air. All hearts were glad ; all faces gay, There was no strife, no rude alloy ; Such as in tliis degenerate day Will rise to mar the common joy. To fancy's eye it might have seemed As though the golden days of yore Had circled back to earth once more ; And brought again that guileless mirth Which bards have sung and sages dreamed In bright reversion yet for earth. MOONLIGHT IN THE FOREST. The moon shone bright, and her silvery light Thi-ough the forest aisles was glancing. And with mimic beam on the rippling stream A thousand stars were dancing. No noise was heard save the night's lone bird, From his dark and dreary dwelling ; Or the distant crash of some aged ash, Which the ax of time was fellinsr. THE MOUNDS OF CAHOKIA. The sun's last rays were fading from the west. The deepening shades stole slowly o'er the plain, The evening breeze had lulled itself to rest ; And all was silent, save the mournful strain With which the widowed tmtle wooed in vain Her absent lover to her lonely nest. Now, one by one, emerging to the sight. The brighter stars assumed their seats on high. The moon's pale crescent glowed serenely bright. As the last twilight fled along the sky, And all her train in cloudless majesty Were glittering on the dark, blue vault of night. I hngered, by some soft enchantment bound, And gazed, enraptured, on the lovely scene. From the dark summit of an Indian mound I saw the plain, outspread in softened green, Its fringe of hoary cliffs, by moonlight sheen, And the dark line of forest, sweeping round. I saw the lesser mounds which round me rose. Each was a giant mass of slumbering clay. There slept the warriors, women, friends and foes. There, side by side, the rival chieftains lay ; And mighty tribes, swept from the face of day, Forgot their wars, and found a long repose. Ye mouldering relics of departed years ! Your names have perished; not a trace remains, Save, where the grass-grown mound its summit rears From the green bosom of your native plains.