Challenger

 

Challenger

Where does he go,
       The daring one?
He follows the road
       That leads to the sun. 

Is the going rough

       The highway wide?

The road is long--

       But so is his stride!

And does he guess

       What lies ahead?

He only knows

       That he is led . . .

Drawn by a will

       Greater than his

To look for the sun

       And a Power that is.

--Clare Harner.

From Cycle Vol. 7 No. 2 (June 1941) page 14. Devoted to shorter poetry and reviews, Cycle magazine was then published in Houston, Texas and edited by Lily Lawrence Bow (1870-1943).

Dianne Scott tells the story of How Bow Channel Got Its Name.

 

With No Ring

 

With No Ring

People pass with averted eyes--
For I'm the sort their creeds despise.

No one believes I'd send you away.

Everyone thinks I begged you to stay.

The nicest women pass me by.

With questioning brows they wonder, "Why?"

They hold their skirts aside with care

Though the walk is broad with room to spare.

For a lady must wear a wedding ring:

A woman who can't is a leprous thing!

Why did you leave me alone like this?

An outcast because I loved your kiss.

CLARE HARNER.

As published in Eros (Henry Harrison, 1939), edited by Lucia Trent.

George Elliston, editor of The Gypsy poetry magazine

"... a reporter who was tough as nails and could spit the same."
-- George Elliston as described by Kevin Grace in Cincinnati's Literary Heritage (History Press, 2021)

Sun, Mar 24, 1935 – 24 · The Birmingham News (Birmingham, Alabama) · Newspapers.com

George Elliston (1883-1946) founded and edited The Gypsy all poetry magazine in Cincinnati, Ohio. Elliston's Gypsy published two poems by Kansas native Clare Harner, "Immortality" (December 1934) and Where You Go (June 1936). Clare Harner's Immortality is nowadays more popularly known by its first line "Do not stand by my grave and weep" or "Do not stand at my grave and weep." 

From the Birmingham AL News, March 24, 1935:

... George Elliston, an Ohio newspaper woman and poet with a delightful personality, will speak on poetry and read some of her poems. Miss Elliston has gained wide recognition for her poetry and through her newspaper work. Her poems have been printed in worthwhile anthologies, reprinted in the Literary Digest, set to music, used over radio, chosen for illumined motto cards, reproduced on “movie” screens and translated into Russian and German. In the Spring of 1928 she won in Vienna, with Ilse Huebner, a prize much coveted since the time of Bach by poets and composers, the Oesterreichische Music Pad Reichsverband award. 

She is owner and editor of the poetry journal Gypsy, which rates as one of the best poetry magazines on the market. She has a number of books of poetry to her credit and, in spite of her work as a poet and editor, she finds time to be a member of the news staff of The Cincinnati Times-Star. She writes news and features and is a syndicate writer for numerous papers.

Miss Elliston is past chairman of poetry for the League of American Pen Women and her many other activities are to be found in “Who’s Who in America.” During the Summer months Miss Elliston forgets all of these activities and retires to her estate of 15 acres, in the midst of which “Catalpa Cabin,” nestles, named for the huge catalpa which umbrellas it, and here in her studio, “Rhyme Hole,” she writes most of the lovely, haunting lyrics that have made her so well known....

Sun, Mar 24, 1935 – 24 · The Birmingham News (Birmingham, Alabama) · Newspapers.com

Link to George Elliston bio in The Encyclopedia of Northern Kentucky:

https://books.google.com/books?id=Zc0eBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA299&lpg=PA299&dq#v=onepage&q&f=false

Clare Harner’s ‘Immortality’ (1934)

Clare Harner’s ‘Immortality’ (1934): SINCE its rediscovery by John Wayne in 1977,1 the bereavement poem that begins ‘Do not stand at [by] my grave and weep’ has been variously traced to Hopi and....

Well known poem by Clare Harner Lyon

In this 1988 letter to the editor of the Escondido CA Times-Advocate, Margaret Ireland correctly identified Clare Harner Lyon as the author of the popular bereavement poem "Do not stand at my grave and weep." Among other changes in the version quoted by Ms. Ireland, "uplifting" replaces "up-flinging"; and the line "I am the soft stars that shine at night" replaces "I am the day transcending night" in the original 1934 text of Clare Harner's Immortality. 

Poem to ease the pain

This is an attempt to ease the pain, if only in a small way, of the families of those who lost their lives in the recent plane crash. Since the victims no longer can feel pain, the ones who grieve are the ones who are left behind and suffer a loss. This poem, by Clare Harner Lyon, is well known and has been quoted in various publications for more than 30 years and was recited as a eulogy at the burial of movie star John Wayne.

 "Do not stand at my grave and weep; 

I am not there., I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow.

I am the diamond glints on snow.

I am the sunlight on ripened grain.

I am the gentle autumn's rain.

When you awaken in the morning's hush,

I am the swift uplifting rush

of quiet birds in circled flight.

I am the soft stars that shine at night.

Do not stand at my grave and cry;

I am not there, I did not die."

It is in nature's pattern that we live a certain number of years and if we make use of every moment to be the best of whatever we choose to be, then there should be no fear of the unknown of what follows when life is over.

Margaret Ireland
Escondido

Thu, Dec 29, 1988 – 19 · Times-Advocate (Escondido, California) · Newspapers.com
As shown below, in December 1977 the supposedly "anonymous poem" was read by John Wayne at the funeral of film director Howard Hawks. 

Fri, Dec 30, 1977 – Page 89 · Abilene Reporter-News (Abilene, Texas) · Newspapers.com