‘Blue and Gold’ and Other Poetry by Neal Dachstadter

Blue and Gold

Michigan, Michigan: Kings to go forth,
Kerothen, Kerothen, songs to the North,
Ice scattered pond with a trout flipping high,
Geist of beau monde, with a shout to the sky.

Out from the frozen of winter and wrought,
Stout from the chosen, and rendered and sought,
Fathers and Brethren, the future to wrest,
Michigan, Kerothen: route to the West.

Kerothen: Greek for “from the heart” / Geist of beau monde: French for “good society”

What When Where Who

What dusk of night, what dawn of day,
What time of flight, what rhyme and ray
What sky vermilion, cobalt bay,
What tried, one billion words to say?

“When time be strong, and life robust,
When clime be balm and scarce be fuss,
When mile be sound, and trial be plus,
And isle be crowned, and gold be dust,

Where land and sea meet strand and scree,
Where San Francisco, oversea
Where China and Japan they be,
Where Berkeley clan of strong esprit,

What ocean tossed, what storm abroad,
When prime was lost alarmed we trod?
Then chimed a bell with cheer well – shod:
Where times be well, then steer with God.”

Photo / Kateri McLucas / Jeff Bernstein

Of Man and Creed

And what of Man, amid the glade,
Below the Sun, amid the shade?
What of that one which God hath made,
Of gold, of light, and accolade?

O Man and Creed, thou never trade
That weight and glory, undismayed,
No greater story be conveyed:
No man forlorn, who on Thee stayed.

I sought above, to govern me,
Wrought of love: my Sovereign free.

Neal Dachstadter was born in Georgia not too far from his family’s Hereford and Angus farm.  He lived in Albany,  Texas and Reno, Nevada before deploying as a Chaplain to Hawijah with the Oregon, Idaho and Montana National Guard in 2005.   Neal is currently the “House Dad, Philosopher & Caretaker” of the Louisiana State Chapter of DKE in Baton Rouge.

Featured Image: “Winter in Michigan” by Vicky Plath.