A special month for giving thanks — the idealistic spark in me would love to believe that we would all live in awareness of our abundant blessings and continuous thankfulness for them all year round. The realist knows that we would all love to live that way, but often feel much less than grateful when the every day stresses and set backs come our way. This is the month our hearts consciously visit the thankful place, however; and in the spirit of thankfulness today I simply share this beautiful (albeit with more traditional languaging) Thanksgiving poem penned some 133 years ago. Enjoy!
Thanksgiving
By Kate Seymour Mcclean (1880)
The Autumn hills are golden at the top,
And rounded as a poet’s silver rhyme;
The mellow days are ruby ripe, that drop
One after one into the lap of time.
Dead leaves are reddening in the woodland copse,
And forest boughs a fading glory wear;
No breath of wind stirs in their hazy tops,
Silence and peace are brooding everywhere.
The long day of the year is almost done,
And nature in the sunset musing stands,
Gray-robed, and violet-hooded like a nun,
Looking abroad o’er yellow harvest lands:
O’er tents of orchard boughs, and purple vines
With scarlet flecked, flung like broad banners out
Along the field paths where slow-pacing lines
Of meek-eyed kine obey the herdboy’s shout;
Where the tired ploughman his dun oxen turns,
Unyoked, afield, mid dewy grass to stray,
While over all the village church spire burns—
A shaft of flame in the last beams of day.
Empty and folded are her busy hands;
Her corn and wine and oil are safely stored,
As in the twilight of the year she stands,
And with her gladness seems to thank the Lord.
Thus let us rest awhile from toil and care,
In the sweet sabbath of this autumn calm,
And lift our hearts to heaven in grateful prayer,
And sing with nature our thanksgiving psalm.
