 | Stories that might be true |  |
69
THE CARRIER PIGEON.
Speed, speed upon thy way!
I send thee on a gentle errand,—fly
And work my bidding ere the parting ray
Fades from the western sky:
I send thee on a gentle errand,—fly
And work my bidding ere the parting ray
Fades from the western sky:
The summer woods are dark,
And murmur lovingly, yet pause not thou
That bearest tokens onwards to thine ark
More sure than leaf or bough!
And murmur lovingly, yet pause not thou
That bearest tokens onwards to thine ark
More sure than leaf or bough!
In sunshine bathe thy breast;
Stay not within the swift and glancing rill
To dip thy wing—for thee a sweeter rest
Is waiting, onwards still!
Stay not within the swift and glancing rill
To dip thy wing—for thee a sweeter rest
Is waiting, onwards still!
Forth from the casement, there
She leans to gaze upon the sky, and now
The evening light lies golden on her hair,
Lies warm on cheek and brow;
She leans to gaze upon the sky, and now
The evening light lies golden on her hair,
Lies warm on cheek and brow;
70
She looks unto the West;
It is for thee she watches—thou wilt be
Soon by her hand, her gentle hand caresst,
How softly, tenderly!
It is for thee she watches—thou wilt be
Soon by her hand, her gentle hand caresst,
How softly, tenderly!
Yet first beneath thy wing
It trembles, while she seeks my letter; well
She knows, ere yet her light touch frees the string,
All that it hath to tell.
It trembles, while she seeks my letter; well
She knows, ere yet her light touch frees the string,
All that it hath to tell.
And yet the heart would hear
The words it loves the best repeated; fain
To set them to its music soft, nor fear
To weary of the strain;
The words it loves the best repeated; fain
To set them to its music soft, nor fear
To weary of the strain;
Like Childhood's ear that drinks
Some oft-told story, some remembered rhyme,
It knows each word before it comes, yet thinks
Them sweeter every time;
Some oft-told story, some remembered rhyme,
It knows each word before it comes, yet thinks
Them sweeter every time;
It welcomes them before
They cross the threshold, as, with greeting soft,
One flies to meet a foot-fall at the door,
That cannot come too oft!
They cross the threshold, as, with greeting soft,
One flies to meet a foot-fall at the door,
That cannot come too oft!
71
Ah! would that to her heart
She chanced but once to press the folded line,
Then all the warmth to sudden life would start,
I breathed on it from mine!
She chanced but once to press the folded line,
Then all the warmth to sudden life would start,
I breathed on it from mine!
The love, the tenderness,
That found in words no kindred language, there
Would seek a fond Interpreter to guess
All they may ne'er declare!
That found in words no kindred language, there
Would seek a fond Interpreter to guess
All they may ne'er declare!
I do but stay thy flight,
Speed on thy way! the summer heavens are wide,
Yet through their broad and untracked fields of light
Thou wilt not need a guide;
Speed on thy way! the summer heavens are wide,
Yet through their broad and untracked fields of light
Thou wilt not need a guide;
My thoughts before thee fly,
Thou needest but to follow where they lead;
They have one way—Ah! would that with thee, I
Might also follow—speed!
Thou needest but to follow where they lead;
They have one way—Ah! would that with thee, I
Might also follow—speed!
| Stories that might be true | |