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Thanks to Joy Lovelace who brought in a newspaper clipping of the following poems that ran many Thanksgivings ago in our paper.
…Wee ordaine that the day of our ships arrival at the place assigned for pantacon in the land of Virginia shall be yearly and perpetually kept holy as a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God.
--Instructions to Virginia settlers for the first Thanksgiving in 1619
A Good Thanksgiving
Said Old Gentleman Gay, “On a Thanksgiving Day,
If you want a good time, then give something away.”
So he sent a fat turkey to Shoemaker Price,
And the shoemaker said, “What a big bird! How nice!
And, since such a good dinner’s before me, I ought
To give poor Widow Lee the small chicken I bought.”
“This fine chicken, O see!” said the pleased Widow Lee,
“And the kindness that sent it, how precious to me!
I would like to make someone as happy as I –
I’ll give Washerwoman Biddy my big pumpkin pie.”
“And, O sure!” Biddy said, “tis the queen of all pies!
Just to look at its yellow face gladdens my eyes!
Now it’s my turn, I think; and a sweet ginger-cake
For the motherless Finigan children I’ll bake.”
“A sweet-cake all our own! ‘Tis too good to be true!”
Said the Finigan children, Rose, Denny and Hugh;
“It smells sweet of spice, and we’ll carry a slice
To poor little lame Jake – who has nothing that’s nice.”
“O, I thank you, and thank you!” said little lame Jake:
“O what a bootiful, bootiful cake!
And O, such a big slice! I will save all the crumbs,
And will give ‘em to each little Sparrow that comes.”
And the Sparrows, they twittered, as if they would say,
Like Old Gentleman Gay, “On a Thanksgiving Day,
If you want a good time, then give something away!”
— Annie Douglas Green Robinson
Thankfulness
…Many favours which God giveth us ravel out for want of hemming, through our own unthankfulness; for though prayer purchaseth blessings, giving praise doth keep the quiet possession of them.
— Thomas Fuller
Every Day Thanksgiving Day
Dear the people coming home,
Dear glad faces long away,
Dear the merry cries, and dear
All the glad and happy play.
Dear the thanks, too, that we give
For all of this, Thanksgiving Day.
— Harriet Prescott Spofford |
