The Poetry Corner

Sault Ste. Marie

By Pamela S. Vining, (J. C. Yule)

Laughing and singing With rhythmical flow, Leaping and springing, O light-hearted Sault! - Tossing up snowy hands In thy glad play, Shaking out dewy locks Bright with the spray, - Joyously ever Thy bright waters go, Yet wearying never, O beautiful Sault! Kingly Superior Leaps to thy arms, And all his broad waters Are bright with thy charms; They sparkle, and glitter, And flash in their play, Chasing ripple and rainbow Away and away! Weary, I ween, Of his solemn repose, Gaily the mighty Flood Flashes and glows; And, buoyantly, brightly, Fleet-footed or slow, Doth dance with thee lightly, Unwearying Sault! If I were a fairy I'd dance with thee too, Daily and nightly, Unfalt'ring and true; - In sunlight and starlight, In darkness and day, As free as the breezes, As glad in our play! We'd sing in the darkness, We'd laugh in the light, We'd whirl in the eddies At noonday and night, - We'd toss up the waters In sunshine, to see How they'd fling us back di'monds And gold in their glee; - Such amethysts, topazes, Rubies and pearls, As we'd strew o'er the tide In our innocent whirls, And never be lonely, Or weariness know - Ourselves, and us only - O light-hearted Sault! Yet the dance is thine own, And the song and the glee, Thou dwellest alone, Untrammelled and free Our ships may not glide O'er thy bosom, - our feet May not trace out one path, Or explore one retreat! We may hollow our channels To left or to right, And glide on our way With thy gambols in sight, Yet this, and this only, Of thee we may know, Thou lone, but not lonely, Free, fetterless Sault! Farewell, ye bright waters, - We part, and for aye! - My pathway leads on O'er the billows away; - These feet will grow weary In life's busy mart, These eyes be oft tear-dim, And heavy this heart; But thou wilt sing on In thy joyous unrest, Unchanging, unwearying, Buoyant and blest While the slow-footed centuries Glide on their way, And nations grow hoary, And sink in decay, - Thou, tireless and tameless, Unchecked in thy flow, Shalt sing on as ever, O beautiful Sault!