--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Pike, Annie collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 4 number: 7 published: 1901-05 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Annie Pike, "Karl G. Maeser: A Poem," *Improvement Era* 4, no. 7 (May 1901): 515–516.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0407unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera0407unse start_page: 515 end_page: 516 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1901-05) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0407unse publication_year: 1901 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1901, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Karl G. Maeser: A Poem KARL G. MAESER. What was he? A voice:—deep with the call to battle for the right; Tender with comfort through the doubtful night; A call to arms upon the field of self, To raise the soul and kill the greed of pelf; A voice that struck the Ananias dead, And lifted up the nobler self instead. What was he? A hand that never knew an oppressor's heart, A hand that never knew a meaner part Than lifting up where others had crushed down; The weak, the tempted, who win fortune's frown; A hand that comforted yet smote for good, Sparing himself the least where'er he stood. 516 IMPR0VEMEN1 ERA. What was he? A heart, a soul, the expanseless seas as broad, A mighty soul that one time looked on God And caught the illumination of his smile, And brought the light to earth a little while; A heart that left the meaner deeds unthought, A soul that breathed of peace from battles fought: The children's friend, the friend that steadied youth; A bearer of the cross for right and truth! And now? His voice is silent through the unsleeping hour, His hand doth rest in peace that wielded power; Gone on his journey through the gates of day, Our friend, our teacher, hath but passed this way. But in our hearts his voice doth echo still, Like sound of angels on Judea's hill; So shall its echo to the years belong; So shall remembrance of his hand make strong; So shall his work go on from age to age, And leave its stamp divine on history's page. Faithful he was, aye, even unto death! Such life can never die with lessening breath. He hath but crossed the seas that soundless break, Leaving a light of glory in his wake. February 17, 1901. Annie Pike.