To A Fallen Elm
1   Old elm that murmured in our chimney top
2   The sweetest anthem autumn ever made
3   & into mellow whispering calms would drop
4   When showers fell on thy many coloured shade
5   & when dark tempests mimic thunder made
6   While darkness came as it would strangle light
7   With the black tempest of a winter night
8   That rocked thee like a cradle to thy root
9   How did I love to hear the winds upbraid
10   Thy strength without—while all within was mute
11   It seasoned comfort to our hearts desire
12   We felt thy kind protection like a friend
13   & edged our chairs up closer to the fire
14   Enjoying comforts that was never penned
15   Old favourite tree thoust seen times changes lower
16   Though change till now did never injure thee
17   For time beheld thee as her sacred dower
18   & nature claimed thee her domestic tree
19   Storms came & shook thee many a weary hour
20   Yet stedfast to thy home thy roots hath been
21   Summers of thirst parched round thy homely bower
22   Till earth grew iron—still thy leaves was green
23   The childern sought thee in thy summer shade
24   & made their play house rings of sticks & stone
25   The mavis sang & felt himself alone
26   While in thy leaves his early nest was made
27   & I did feel his happiness mine own
28   Nought heeding that our friendship was betrayed
29   Friend not inanimate—though stocks & stones
30   There are & many formed of flesh & bones
31   Thou owned a language by which hearts are stirred
32   Deeper then by a feeling cloathed in words
33   & speakest now whats known of every tongue
34   Language of pity & the force of wrong
35   What cant assumes what hypocrites will dare
36   Speaks home to truth & shows it what they are
37   I see a picture which thy fate displays
38   & learn a lesson from thy destiny
39   Self interest saw thee stand in freedoms ways
40   So thy old shadow must a tyrant be
41   Thoust heard the knave abusing those in power
42   Bawl freedom loud & then opress the free
43   Thoust sheltered hypocrites in many a shower
44   That when in power would never shelter thee
45   Thoust heard the knave supply his canting powers
46   With wrongs illusions when he wanted friends
47   That bawled for shelter when he lived in showers
48   & when clouds vanished made thy shade amends
49   With axe at root he felled thee to the ground
50   & barked of freedom—O I hate the sound
51   Time hears its visions speak & age sublime
52   Had made thee a deciple unto time
53   —It grows the cant term of enslaving tools
54   To wrong another by the name of right
55   It grows the liscence of oerbearing fools
56   To cheat plain honesty by force of might
57   Thus came enclosure—ruin was its guide
58   But freedoms clapping hands enjoyed the sight
59   Though comforts cottage soon was thrust aside
60   & workhouse prisons raised upon the scite
61   Een natures dwellings far away from men
62   The common heath became the spoilers prey
63   The rabbit had not where to make his den
64   & labours only cow was drove away
65   No matter—wrong was right & right was wrong
66   & freedoms bawl was sanction to the song
67   —Such was thy ruin music making elm
68   The rights of freedom was to injure thine
69   As thou wert served so would they overwhelm
70   In freedoms name the little that is mine
71   & there are knaves that brawl for better laws
72   & cant of tyranny in stronger powers
73   Who glut their vile unsatiated maws
74   & freedoms birthright from the weak devours