Conservative Central

Home       About CC       What is Conservatism?       Articles       Links

The following poem celebrates the arrival home of her newborn daughter. The poem manages to express not only an appreciation of the feminine graces, but also a love of nature and a quiet patriotism. (The poem was published in 1916─the boys sailing away are Australian soldiers heading off to WWI.)

The gossiping magpie the glad news told,
The wattle tree shook all her tassels of gold,
The kookaburra laughed till over he rolled─
Oh, little girl of mine;
For you had come to our home that day,
Old mother earth looked glad and gay,
She seemed to join in a long hurrah,
Dear little girl of mine.

The streamlet murmured it as it passed,
In spreading the news it would not be last
And crows cawed it loud in the gum trees vast─
Oh little girl of mine.
A wee, wee babe in your downy nest,
Sent by the angels to be our guest:
Oh happy indeed were we, and blest,
Dear little girl of mine.

And the gum leaves whispered the story, too,
Until soon all the birds in the branches knew
Just what you were like, and what you could do
Oh little girl of mine,
And the shining ones, as they gazed below
On this darkened world of sin and woe,
Bade one as thy guardian angel go─
Dear little girl of mine.

And the flowers in the garden said we'll see
Just what manner of child this babe will be.
Said the lily, "She's sure to be like me!"
Oh little girl of mine;
And she talked of your purity loud and long;
You were fair as a lily and knew no wrong,
And her fragrant beauty to you should belong─
Dear little girl of mine.

"She shall be like me," said the sweet red rose,─
"She is born for love, as everyone knows:
It shall be her portion till life shall close,"─
Oh little girl of mine.
Then they agreed, these graces three,
Goodness, and love, and purity
Should ever be enshrined in thee─
Dear little girl of mine.

And the old earth tinted my darling's eyes
With a glint of our sunny Austral skies,
And she is merry and glad and wise─
Oh, little girl of mine.
And her hair is brown as the old khaki
Of the boys who've sailed across the sea─
God keep our laddies! and God bless thee!
Dear little girl of mine.
 

   Home          Poems