"The American Flag" by Jonathan E. Hoag (1920)

The American Flag.

BY J. E. HOAG.

Starry folds, whose matchless splendor

        Long hath blessed our grateful eyes;

Gleaming with a light more tender

        Than e'er shone in yonder skies!

Wave as always, in a glory

        None may tarnish or excel;

Keep upon our lips the story

        That our fathers lov'd to tell!

May your grandeur be unceasing,

        Proud reminder of the past,

As in noble rank increasing,

        Each new ray outshines the last.

Troy Times. November 16, 1920: 7 col 2.

The poem was reprinted in 1923 with some lines altered and more lines added. In the book's margin the poem was dated 1918.

To the American Flag.

Starry folds, whose matchless splendor

        Long hath blessed our grateful eyes;

Gleaming with a light more tender

        Than your rivals in the skies;

Wave as always, in a glory

        None may tarnish or excel;

Keep upon our lips the story

        That our fathers loved to tell!

May your grandeur be unceasing,

        Proud reminder of the past;

As in noble rank increasing,

        Each new ray outshines the last.

Yesterday for one young nation

        You in valor were unfurled;

But today your constellation

        Beams aloft for all the world!

Hoag, Jonathan E. The Poetical Works of Jonathan E. Hoag. NY: n.p., 1923.

Somewhat peculiarly, "To the American Flag" was attributed to H. P. Lovecraft in Arkham House's 1949 book Something About Cats and Other Pieces. For a little more about Lovecraft and Hoag, see an earlier post here, "One Flag" by Jonathan E. Hoag (1925).

"Flag of the Free" by Rev. Algernon S. Clark (1925)

Flag of the Free.

BY REV. ALGERNON S. CLARK.

Flag of the Free! Your flag and mine;

What memories 'round its folds entwine!

Its stars all tell of union dear;

Its bars of Freedom's Birthplace here,

Flag of the Free! Flag of the Free!

So glorious on land or sea!

Flag of the Free! Your flag and mine;

Its mission sealed in God's design—

To lead in march of truths sublime

Adorn these wondrous years of Time.

Flag of the Free! Flag of the Free!

So glorious on land or sea!

Flag of the Free! Your flag and mine;

May e'er its folds in beauty shine,

To sheer, to bless, to point the way,

As God shall guide, to Peace's sweet day.

Flag of the Free! Flag of the Free!

So glorious on land or sea.

        Round Lake.

Troy Times. June 13, 1925: 14 col 2.

"Oh, Thou Flag!" by Annie S. Wallis (1925)

Oh, Thou Flag!

BY ANNIE S. WALLIS.

Oh thou Flag, brave and fair,

        Ensign dear to the Free,

Lo, we lift thee on high,

        O'er the land, and the sea!

But we press to the heart

        E'er we raise thee o'er head;

Thine the Living to bless,

        Thine to honor our Dead!

Loved Emblem of Freedom,

        With thy white stripes for Peace;

For the Blessing of God;

        For our Land's true increase.

With red stripes for Valor,

        Firm to do and to dare,

When the Right calls for men

        Its great Truths to declare.

With thy stars for our States,

        Firm in Unity, true,

As they rest, one and all,

        In the Heaven's deepest blue.

With what pride do we greet

        Thy fair glory above;

As a Nation, prepared

        To defend thee in Love!

Troy Times. June 13, 1925: 11 col 4.

"The Old Flag" by Frances V. Hubbard (1913)

The Old Flag.

BY FRANCES V. HUBBARD.

Grand Army Men, with faded coats of blue,

Faltering and weak, your journey almost through,

On memory's days our thoughts are all for you,

And the Old Flag, and the Old Flag!

Grand Army Men, you marched, long years ago,

Forth to the fray, youthful and bold, we know,

Bearing the banner that we worship so,

T'was the Old Flag, t'was the Old Flag!

Grand Army Men, homeward you came at last,

Leaving behind an ever-glorious past,

What you had saved the standard bearer clasp't,

T'was the Old Flag, t'was the Old Flag!

Grand Army Men, forever green each grave

The nation keeps, where sleep our mighty brave,

And o'er the tented mounds each year shall wave

Just the Old Flag, just the Old Flag!

Troy Times. July 11, 1913: 12 col 2.

"Raise, Raise the Flag!" by Rev. Joseph C. Booth (1915)

Raise, Raise the Flag!

BY (REV.) JOSEPH C. BOOTH.

Unfurl the flag and throw it to the breeze;

See how its colors blend, red, white and blue;

Its thirteen stripes stand out before our view,

Illumined by the stars—salute it please!

As people bow, the aged veterans sees

Through patriarchal eyes the flag imbue

Three generations, in the grand review,

With flaming love—the nation's devotees!

The starry flag is waving over me;

I feel the entrancing magic of its spell,

As I recall its famous history

From Betsy Ross—without a parallel.

Salute the flag! the nation's standard greet!

The ensign that has never met defeat!

Troy Times. June 14, 1915.

"Lines in memory of Mamie Smith of Berlin" (1882)

Lines

        In memory of Mamie Smith of Berlin, who died March 16, 1882. Mamie tenderly cared for a blind mother many years.

        The twilight is failing around me,

                Though its glory I cannot see,

        And I sit in the silence thinking

                Of the past that is gone from me.

        I can almost hear the footstep

                And the touch of the loving hand,

        That the golden harp is striking

                In the fair Immanuel land.

        Ah! I miss the hand that caressed me,

                I miss the tender care,

        And the gentle words that soothed me,

                And the face that I knew was fair.

        For the light step grew heavy and weary,

                And the voice had a sadder tone,

        And a fear chilled my heart's low beating

                And the light of my life was gone.

        But I hoped in Him who careth

                For the sparrow in its fall,

        And I prayed that His will should spare her,

                And knew that He heard my call.

        And hope grew stronger and sweeter,

                With my burden at His feet,

        Knowing that He would help me

                In the trials I had to meet.

        But death drew silently nearer,

                She shrank with the loving cry,

        "My poor blind mother I cannot leave,

                I must live, for I cannot die."

        But vain was her prayer and pleading,

                God called her to lands most fair;

        Though the grave is lying between us,

                I know she is lying there.

        In my grief I murmured and chided

                The Hand that was wont to cheer.

        But I know God's love remaineth,

                When He deigned to enter here.

        And I say in my heart, "God took her,"

                And, by faith, I look up and see,

        A face in the throng of the ransomed,

                Which is lovingly turne to me.

        And I dream of a day that is nearing,

                When I shall stand by the shore,

        And see, with the eyes now darkened,

                The one who has gone before.

        My treasure is laid in heaven,

                By mote nor rust defiled;

        But safe in the loving presence

                Of Him who was once a child.

        In my dreams I may hear a chorus,

                I shall hear her voice as they sing,

        And will know that Mamie is kneeling

                At the feet of my Lord and King.

Troy Times. June 1, 1882: 3.

Mamie J. Smith (1857-1882)

Center Berlin Baptist Cemetery

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=111654023

"Lula's Welcome" (1882)

Lula's Welcome

        [Suggested by the death, at East Nassau, Rensselaer county, N.Y., on the 7th of May, 1882, of her beloved teacher on earth, Mrs. L. E. Palmer.]

        One sweet, glad voice will greet thee,

        Two feet will run to meet thee,

        Two arms around thy neck be thrown,

        Two lips will kiss thine own.

        Two little ears will listen,

        Two clear, soft eyes will glisten,

        To See thee, bear thee, make thee known,

        And show thee round the throne.

        And bells in heaven are ringing,

        While angels bands are singing:

        "What God has joined forever,

        "Nor death, nor time can sever;

        "No more to know life's anguish.

        "No more on earth to languish—

        "Live on, with life eternal;

        "Love on, with love supernal!"

RIDER'S MILLS, N.Y., May 17, 1882. T.B.R.

Troy Times. May 25, 1882: 3.

More, Strange and Wright (1797)

        At a tavern one night,

        Messrs. More, Strange and Wright,

Met to drink, and good thoughts to exchange;

        Says More, "Of us three,

        The whole town will agree,

There is only one knave, & that's Strange."

        "Yes," says Strange (rather sore)

        "I am sure there's one More,

A most terrible knave and a bite,

        Who cheated his mother,

        His sister and brother."—

"O yes," replied More, "that is Wright."

American Spy [Troy, NY]. April 18, 1797: 2 col 2.

The above doesn't seem to be the earliest newspaper appearance of the poem, but it might be among the earliest. Some prior appearances include the City Gazette [Charleston, SC] of February 19, 1796 and the Weekly Oracle [New London, CT] of March 25, 1797. A still earlier one is in The Sporting Magazine of December 1795 on page 166, there titled "The Punsters: A Little Tale."

"Nature in the Month of June" by Rev. T. L. Drury (1917)

Nature in the Month of June.

BY (REV.) T. L. DRURY.

Out where nature is so smiling,

        Oh, there, I love to be;

There her ways are so beguiling,

        And comforting to me.

So in this lovely month of June,

        When nature fairest seems,

I love to watch the summer moon

        Reflect its silver beams.

The scenes are all so pleasure giving

        In virgin fields of green,

They teach that life is worth our living

        Where nature is serene.

Who would not love to stroll these days

        With nature to commune,

For beautiful are all her ways

        Now in the month of June.

To me she is an open book,

        Whose thoughts uplifting are;

Each flowery field and silver brook

        Speak forth her glories far.

Hence God and life and nature seem

        To here in splendor shine;

It all may be to me a dream

        But then it's so divine.

So in the spirit do I sing,

        And nature gives the tune,

For heaven blesses ev'rything

        Here in the month of June!

And, oh, were men but closer drawn

        To nature's living way,

There then would be a glad new morn,

        And love would rule the day.

Troy Times. June 6, 1917