The Dusty Bookcase: Hidden Thanksgiving Day Verse

09 October 2023

Hidden Thanksgiving Day Verse

Lines for the day from Canada and Other Poems, Thomas Frederick Young's lone volume of verse. Published in 1887 by Hunter, Rose, the table of contents is interesting in that the page numbers are off. What makes it truly curious is that there's no mention of 'Thanksgiving Day,' one of the stronger poems in the collection.

THANKSGIVING DAY

God of the harvest, once again
Our joyful tones we raise,
For all Thy goodness, day by day,
We give Thee thankful praise.

With blessings rich, from fertile field,
And gifts from fruitful tree,
We wish, this day, our thanks to yield
With earnest hearts, to Thee.

We ploughed the ground, we sow'd the seed,
But Thou didst send the rain
In grateful show'rs, in time of need.
And now we've reap'd the grain.

The sun with grateful heat did shine;
The dew did nightly fall;
And now, for loaded tree and vine —
We give Thee thanks for all.

The bee, in well-fill'd honey cells.
Her sweets for us hath stow'd,
The crystal water in the wells,
For us from springs hath flowed.

The lowing herd, the prancing steed
Received we from Thy hand.
And we, this day, return oar meed
Of praise, throughout the land.

Then let us sing with earnest hearts,
Tho' joyful be each lay,
And thankful ev'ry song that starts
On this Thanksgiving Day.