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The Smoke of Cottage Chimneys

by Arthur Goodenough

The smoke of cottage chimneys,
To fill the sky's blue cap,
Like sacrificial vapors,
Through all the earth go up;
A goodly sight and pleasant,
For every eye to see,
So potently suggestive,
Of thrift and harmony.

The smoke of cottage chimneys,
For me has wondrous charm,
And brings me glowing visions,
Of hearth fires snug and warm;
Where happy children gather
About the cheerful glow,
And vainly try to number
The sparks that upward go.

The smoke of cottage chimneys,
As I see it upward roll,
Brings a sense of reassurance,
And of gladness to my soul;
For I know whatever crumbles,
Under fate's remorseless stroke,
There is safety for the Nation
While the cottage chimneys smoke.

States may flourish, states may perish,
Empires totter to their fall,
But the smoke of cottage chimneys,
Will endure beyond it all.
And the smoke of cottage chimneys
Is a grander thing to me,
Than the hosts of War assembled,
Or the battle fleets at sea.

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