sw00683a-24.fv1961

First Verses


The Gush of Spring

    (for sound effects, fun, and beatniks)


In joy I walk along;
I sing a happy song,
For nature's mellow gong
Is rightly ringing long.
The mattresses of frost
Beyond the wall of land
With mighty force are tossed,
Where oceans spanned
By glassy waves
That ever break
Against the wall
And shattered, fall
On miles of sandy graves
From whence they never wake.
The hoary mattresses
That now are gone
Allow the messes
Of sleeping spring
To twang e'er lang
The song they sang
On last year's lawn.
Oh happy, bouncing spring,
Freed from winter's bed,
No longer are you dead!
You do not sleep,
But rather bring
The slamming dawn
To scare the hare
And flare the bear
And move the heavy air
As one would move a chair
Across the floor
Or drop the music score.

In joy I amble on
My oily way
And run this marathon
Each turn of day.
The vernal rush
Is always heard
In softly spoken word,
A lullaby so hush
That never did
The Scotch
So sweetly notch
The word and song
That lies not hid
Beneath old winter's dark,
Beneath its eerie bark,
Beneath its cold,
Beneath its scraping wind,
Beneath its charging bold;
Beneath its face of stone
That drops quite wrong
On those who sinned.

And yet the room,
Where spring is now exposed
And winter's sheets are torn,
Does find me there, forlorn,
As all around the gloom
Of night's shades fallen
Cause the gush of spring
To be deposed
As would a reigning king
Who grew with such quick speed
So as to suffer need
Of that which would make clear
This messy time of year
When all is like
A can of beer
Gurgled and thrown away
At noon of day
And life is far and near
With footsteps heard,
The song of bird,
The beat of drums,
The deaths of bums,
The whistle of a train,
The sound of plane,
The mush and gush,
And all such like.




-
Brian A. J. Salchert                   

sw00682a-23.fv1960

First Verses



Solitudo III


Along the earth's forgotten trails, beyond
The desert dunes and snowy mountain heights,
A silent voice entreats; all men respond,
Imprinting thoughts across the endless nights.
Light tapestries, ideals of every man,
Reduce to empty weaves Minervan toil,
Embellish all that spirits deem to scan;
And harbor hopes above the deadly coil.
But seeds of dreams too often rudely die,
Forsaking men with emptiness to hold,
Till deep retreat, alone, with heaven's Eye
And woodland rest reveals the hidden gold:
   No solitude enacts a greater role
   Than quiet realized in peace of soul.



-
Brian A. J. Salchert                   

sw00681a-22.fv1960

First Verses


The Song of Southern Africa for Freedom

     with thanks to Alan Paton


Boom! then quickly rap the beats--dark song.
Soon! recast the rhythmic ring--life's score.
Boom ti ki boom,
     boom ti ki boom.
          Wreathe, O warrior dancing.
Twist,
     whirl,
          charge:
               boom ti ki boom, ti ki.
Now charge!

Fight! across your open plains--bright light.
Reach! the burning torch proceeds--new trails.
Boom ti ki boom
     fades from the air;
          freedom's song is rising.
Speak,
     sing,
          move;
               grandly orate, Zulu.
Be free!

Phalaropes in the sky,
          black and white,
                    are in flight.
Cry
     --the country beloved lies deserted.
Love.




-
Brian A. J. Salchert                   

sw00680a-21.fv1959

First Verses



Into the Marsh


We wind our ways
     Through misty nights,
And shun the days
     Of crystal heights.




-
Brian A. J. Salchert                   

sw00679a-20.fv1959

First Verses



Triton


O Triton blow your silver horn
Across the salty sea,
                  and call
The nymphs beyond the painted morn
Of brightly shining victory.

Each shaft of dawn Aurora brings
Replacing shades of night,
                  to all
The realm of father Neptune sings
New solemn songs on rainbowed light.

Make hard thy mighty sinews now,
Fill up thy chest with pride;
                  and reign
Above the waves that ram the bow
Where Homer's vir in search does ride.

Upon your head of umber rests
The laurel of the sea;
                  a train
The evening's veiling shade attests
Your peerless, royal ancestry.

Remember thou art Triton, true,
Half man; half fish, your form;
                  but know
What-e'er in future times you do,
With faithfulness pursue the corm.




-
Brian A. J. Salchert                   

sw00678a-19.fv1959

First Verses



Tom of the Woods


In yonder woods so green and fair
 There lived a lad in woe;
For though he had the glades for friends,
 There was no man to know.

His name?  His name was Tom de Luck,
 And luck he surely had.
His life was full of chance and dare,
 But lonely, he was sad.

The woods was bright with flashing hues
 That sparkled in the sun,
As squirrels scampered on the ground
 Until the day was done.

The fox in slyest deviltry
 Approached his hapless prey,
And captured it, then took his bow
 Before he dashed away.

But all these scenes that filled the woods
 With gaiety and life,
But further saddened Tom de Luck
 And added to his strife.

He strolled the paths with head hung low;
 He stumbled through the mire,
Where mists that echoed all his thoughts
 Accepted his retire.

One day while sitting on a stump,
 He heard a "hello" flow
From tender lips (beyond the marsh)
 That beckoned him to go.

"Who comes so into this deep woods
 To utter soft helloes?
What maiden fair is tripping there
 Yet knows not where she goes?"

"My name is Mary Mariand,
 And I know where I be.
But who are you that questions thus
 In truth to know of me?"

"In truth I go by Tom, if that
 Be true enough for you.
Within this woods of stately trees
 I've lived my whole life through."

"Now Tom of thé woods, for is it
 Not thee, your name and this?
Now gentle sir, be kind to me,
 But render not one kiss."

"A kiss!  I fear the thought of it. . . .
 A maiden such as thee
With golden hair that trails as silk
 In lightest winds at sea. . . ."

"I think you have too many blooms;
 Your garden verse o'erflows,
But let us walk down winding trails
 To where the gentian grows."

The distant haze enveloped them
 As hand in hand they trailed
The ivy and the royal gent's
 To where the maid was veiled.




-
Brian A. J. Salchert                   

sw00677a-18.fv1959

First Verses



The Red-Breasted Messenger


When winter's snow has all but fled the scene
And vivid green is ringing through the air,
I crane my neck across a jeweled ravine
In hopes of sighting spring's first robin there.

What new delight excites my weary veins
As 'mid the budding boughs of maple trees
That harbinger of wooded dales and lanes
Announces life with cheerful melodies.

His lay, a masterpiece of genial song,
Enhancing every enterprising whorl,
Removes unpleasant thoughts that come along
And sets the mind and man where leaves uncurl.




-
Brian A. J. Salchert                  

sw00676a-17.fv1959

First Verses



His Goal Was Peace


Long, dark shadows stole through the light;
Great vines strangled life in the night.
Deep, damp jungles that bent men's minds
Brought forth freedom to rend black blinds.

Fire-lashed crossways tainting the land
Now met Lincoln's comforting hand.
Fate-found saver of freedom dear
Held his honor of justice near.

Out from wilderness for the right,
Trampled evils with all his might,
Beat through brushland where fire was borne;
Claimed the hilltop one foggy morn.

His spirit set on union and life
Moved to conquer the country's strife;
Forgetting all physical needs,
Stretched its hand to calm trembling reeds.

How great the effort Lincoln made:
By day he worked; at night he prayed.

How hard fell the war on his heart;
How his features imaged the part.
Strong, sad grooves marked his kindly face;
Tear-filled eyes did his thoughts embrace.

When sweet peace on golden-hued wings
Across the land of Lincoln sings,
All souls rest in its golden glow,
Thanking God for this man so great
Who melted the war-reddened snow
And found his peace at heaven's gate.




-
Brian A. J. Salchert                   

sw00675a-16.fv1959

First Verses



Indian Sue


She was just a doll in yellow attire
Bound by cloth of East, the land of the sun.
Hair had she as black as night in the mire;
Cheeks of umber burnt were tinted with rose.
Legs that looked like trunks of trees in repose
Near a lumber mill were covered with cloth,
Yellow like the skirt which Sue wore.

Sue, all decked in jewels, beckoned with hand
Outstretched, "Come, come and follow me to Souix land."




-
Brian A. J. Salchert                   

sw00674a-15.fv1959

First Verses



Profound Depths


My mind is tired by thoughts so rare
That seem to permeate the air.
Throughout this space of fading lights
I dream of many sleepless nights.




-
Brian A. J. Salchert                   

sw00673a-14.fv1959

First Verses



Each Man


Each man in this great world of ours
  Has his own job to do,
But how he carries out this plan
  Is simply up to you.

The goodly God has shown the course
  That we in life should take;
However we alone decide
  Depends the path we make.




-
Brian A. J. Salchert                   

sw00672a-13.fv1958

First Verses



Woodland Shades  (version two)


In gleaming streams of light the woodland shades
Like tiny fingers creep across the glades.
They seem to ring of lullabies so sweet
That linger on forever near my feet;
Their changing moods from dawn until the night
Keep all within their chambers gay and bright.
O scarlet red, O turquoise blue unfold;
Uplift my mind with thoughts that are untold.

Through distant mists the creaking trees resound
As hollow logs reutter mournful word.
But beauty yet in stillness can be found,
And life embracing holiness unstirred.
His majesty the oak surveys the realm
That leadeth all beneath the shading elm.




-
Brian A. J. Salchert                   

sw00671a-12.fv1958

First Verses



Woodland Shades  (version one)


In gleaming streams of radiant warmth
I endeavored to capture the woodland shades.
Upon the cool, grassy earth I rested still,
My mind measuring the living beauty.
The winding brook rippled over ragged rocks,
Its merry melody echoing. . . .
The softest breeze whispered through the reeds
And lingered by the leaves, lisping lyrics low.

Old gold glistening was swinging freely
From burden bent boughs toward blossomy births.
The final fulfillment in nearness
Brought extended efforts for happiness true.
Hues with brilliance of precious new jewels
Pierced peaceful shades of arborial glades.
From distant mists resounded a dark, dire moan;
Hollow trees creaked, alone in the mire.

As shadowy fingers gripped ever at death,
Shading the clearing where in wonder I gazed,
The red fox himself slipped out of the brush
To crush dried leaves in the woodland's open path.
Yet, trudging the jungles, ardent ants
Worked well the Willed while in storing for winter.
Busy honey bees too, like dancing fairies,
Gathered sweet nectar from the columbines.

At last I softly stirred in this woodland rare,
My mind retracing the beauty through.
His majesty the Oak surveyed the wondrous
Realm with loving eyes, understanding of all.
    It was then I realized
      What truth I must disclose:
    The beauty of God's nature
      No artist ever knows.




-
Brian A. J. Salchert                   

sw00670a-11.fv1958

First Verses


Nature and the Goal

    after Charles Peguy


Behold, My Creation, says God.
This I have conceived from all time.
I separated the land from the water,
Each to its own place;
And in each place I brought life,
And made the land young.

Then I created man
To My Own Image and Likeness,
To rule over the land.

Behold, My Nature, says God.
From snow-capped mountains
Above the timber line
A new-born brook
Winds swiftly like a silver-blue ribbon
Tumbling in gay, cool splashes
Over old, worn rocks.
Into the autumn forests by colored leaves
The brook winds swiftly in beauty so rare.
This I have conceived from all time.
Life flourishes by this rustling brook;
Through rustling leaves it scampers.
Dancing rays of sunlight on the rippling brook
Are an earthly taste of heaven,
My palace; the final home of men--
Of men who understand My nature,
This nature that I gave to them.
From all time have I conceived this
To aid man toward his goal.
The beautiful birds of the upper air,
The great beasts that trod the land;
The millions of microscopic things:
Through these, my nature, shall man find his goal:
Eternal life in heaven.




-
Brian A. J. Salchert                   

sw00669a-10.fv1958

First Verses



Winter Winds


The barren land in snowy raiments rests
When winter dominates the country scene.
No bird reposes now in feathered nests,
For bitter winds are blasting where the green
Of summer had in cooling shadows been.

These winds that charge across the open field,
Like storms of woe that oft beset the heart,
Are draping flakes of snow that always yield
To every wisp of wind till nature's art
Is manifest as strokes of Genius yet again.

O blow with all your might upon the earth
And cover all the tracks of life around.
Have mercy not on any when in mirth
You laugh at blemished faces on the ground.
Return triumphant fiend to yonder murky fen.

O winds of self mistakes; O winds of Will,
You mark our lives with heavy burdens now.
But we will win this lifelong battle still.
So slaves of Aeolus do suffering allow
For hardship strengthens souls and betters men.




-
Brian A. J. Salchert                   

sw00668a-09.fv1958

First Verses



The Mystic Dove


A whistling Wing amid the trees;
  A glowing Cousin of death,
Thy rosy breast colours the leaves,
  A singing of souls to rest.




-
Brian A. J. Salchert                   

sw00667a-08.fv1957

First Verses



I Could Be a Poet


Ah, 'tis true, but who am I?
I am no Pope, no Whitman, no Longfellow;
But rather an amateur
          searching for light,
                    for room to breathe.
And yet, do I truly wish
To breathe the sweet air of poetry,
Or do I but fool myself with such grand thoughts?
Am I just a bard for fame,
Or do I possess a true talent
That might flourish if I am patient,
          humble,
And willing to work toward such a goal?




-
Brian A. J. Salchert                   

sw00666a-07.fv1957

First Verses



Too Young


Experience is that which I have not
                             leave in,
  As surely you must see.
My poetry is that of the saddest lot
                            even
  With weaker company.




-
Brian A. J. Salchert                   

sw00665a-06.fv1957

First Verses



Treasure


As lays
In beauty bound
By melodies so light,
Is all the wonder man has found
In life.




-
Brian A. J. Salchert                   

sw00664a-05.fv1956

First Verses



Light of Love


The "star of love" shone bright on high,
A guiding light up in the sky.
It led the Maji to the child;
Upon their gifts the God-Man smiled.
The angels sang their songs of praise;
As yet the star threw golden rays.
The shepherds on the hill did see,
Adoring the Christ on bended knee.
Should not hearts wonder at these things
About which still an angel sings?

God's love for man was resting there
In this manger, lowly and bare.
How radiant was His young face,
For from His heart flowed love and grace.
He gave Himself to save mankind
So that those lost He might then find,
Pointing the way to happiness;
Bringing all to Him to caress.
Eternal heaven is the home
Where we who love shall rest, shall roam.




-
Brian A. J. Salchert