ON THE OCCASION OF ITS CENTENNIAL OF STATEHOOD
i
Westering home with a song in the air, Light in the eye and a goodbye to care.
Laughter o' love, and a welcoming there, among my own folk in Utah.
ii
O where are the folk like the folk of the west?
Kindly and "couthy", and clearly the best
There's my home, and there I will rest
Among my own folk in Utah.
iii
Home of apostles and prophets of God,
there rest my fathers in true mountain sod.
Warm hands and kind hearts, honest, full of devotion.
They sacrificed all to 'cross the great
ocean.
When I'm through wandering o'er sea and o'er foam
O then I'll return to my dear
mountain home.
iv
To the north they built Smithfield, Merrill's
Spur and Malad.
Where Mountain Men long ago laid beaver
trap.
With Bear Lake midst mountains that
make the heart glad.
Zion's gates to the to the south are St.
George and Kanab.
v
At center are found Cedar City, Manti,
Provo, Price, Spanish Fork, and also
Lehi;
P'raps we'd also best mention Levan,
all being fine towns that make up the van.
vi
When assailed by thy foes in thy
mountain redoubt,
Thy sons through deception and bravery
won out.
Giving wise Washington heads time to
discern thy true cause --
unswerving loyalty to Heaven's laws.
vii
Though fifty long years it took thee to win
at last thou wert accepted within
America's family of sisters divine,
in Old Glory's field, your own star
now doth shine.
In this land of diverse creed and of race
At length thou hast won preeminent place.
viii
For in response to divine inspiration,
to thee have come children of every
land and of nation.
Thy sons to all tongues and peoples
went forth,
To bring home those they found of true worth.
ix
Thy people still seek perfection like Enoch of old,
Thy schoolmasters yet teach that in wisdom alone is true gold,
Thy sons are resolved to lend others their might,
Bold at all times to defend what is
right.
x
Though nor power, nor riches, nor man's honor seeking
In rule, as in science, as well in life's race
Thy people in leadership ranks have found
place.
xi
When the great deeds of all time
are written and rated,
And they're discerned, and discussed, and
are finally weighted,
Yours 'mongst the noble are sure to be rated.
xii
Though far from the hubbub of battle,
great events, and of state,
the work of thy wives and thy mothers great,
in instilling kind thoughts and kind action
and deed
rank far 'bove those wh' only in self
advancement succeed.
xiiii
As sages of Chaos Theory now teach us,
the tiniest sens'tive events
can alter the flow of the future
when the "nudger" knows what He intends.
xiv
Thus the arrival of 94 strangers
exiled from beautiful homes in Nauvoo
To the vales of this savage place coming
se'en score and ten years ago,
Is entered in God's mighty Annals
As a determining event without "Show".
xv
True, Brigham first tried ways of traditional grandeur
Deseret's sweep ran from Col'rad to
Sierra.
From Arizon's Salt River Valley
to Idaho's Mt. Lemhi scene.
From Central Wyomings' Great Plains to California's great sea stream.
xvi
But Congress wished no other Texas,
a possible rival in strength,
Lopped thy mountains and meadows, reducing thy domain to modest extent.
xvii
Though fifty years' travail and waiting
brought richer rewards than foreseen.
For Utah now has eight lovely sisters,
cut in part from her very own b'som.
xviii
Wyoming', Oregon', Colorado,
Nevad', Arizon', Idaho',
a bit of New Mexico also,
and, into the bargain, a scrap of California tossed in.
xix
So thy long wait for statehood dear Utah
reflects great triumph, not defeat.
For thy eight stalwart sisters
have strengthened thy voice in State's Councils --
as clearly the Lord God did foresee.
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