Niagara's Rainbow

Upon the "table-rock" I stand,     And gaze into the depths profound,     In ecstacy at sights so grand,     And deafened by the sound     Of rushing waters, as they leap     Like maddened steeds, down hillside steep.     The falling spray my head bedews,     As gently as a vernal shower;     Or, as the Holy Ghost imbues     In consecrated hour,     The soul that inly yearns for love,     And seeks it from the throne above.     But I see more than chasm deep,     Than falling spray and rushing tide.     Sublime, indeed, the awful leap;     The awe will long abide--     God's rainbow hangs in colors bright,     A thing of beauty in my sight.     Our cousins on the other side     And we too often disagree;     Puffed up, I fear, at times, with pride,     Each strong, and brave, and free;     But we forget the stormy past,     Our lands and hearts are linked at last.     The "Union-Jack" hangs o'er my head,     The "Stars and Stripes" my cousin rears,     But old-time grievances are dead     For all the coming years;     As separate flags they still may wave,     But we are one the world to save.