Poems of Paul Hamilton Hayne Complete edition with numerous illustrations |
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Poems of Paul Hamilton Hayne | ||
THE CLOUD-STAR.
A FABLE.
Far up within the tranquil sky,
Far up it shone;
Floating, how gently, silently,
Floating alone!
Far up it shone;
Floating, how gently, silently,
Floating alone!
A sunbeam touched its loftier side
With deepening light:
Then to its inmost soul did glide,
Divinely bright.
With deepening light:
Then to its inmost soul did glide,
Divinely bright.
The cloud transfigured to a star,
Thro' all its frame
Throbbed in the fervent heavens afar,
One pulse of flame:
Thro' all its frame
Throbbed in the fervent heavens afar,
One pulse of flame:
One pulse of flame, which inward turned,
And slowly fed
On its own heart, that burned, and burned,
'Till almost dead,
And slowly fed
On its own heart, that burned, and burned,
'Till almost dead,
The cloud still imaged as a star,
Waned up the sky;
Waned slowly, pallid, ghost-like, far,
Wholly to die;
Waned up the sky;
Waned slowly, pallid, ghost-like, far,
Wholly to die;
But die so grandly in the sun—
The noonfire's breath—
Methinks the glorious death it won,
Life! life! not death!
The noonfire's breath—
Methinks the glorious death it won,
Life! life! not death!
Meanwhile a million insect things
Crawl on below,
And gaudy worms on fluttering wings
Flit to and fro;
Crawl on below,
And gaudy worms on fluttering wings
Flit to and fro;
Blind to that cloud, which grown a star,
Divinely bright,
Waned in the deepening heavens afar,
Till—lost in light!
Divinely bright,
Waned in the deepening heavens afar,
Till—lost in light!
Poems of Paul Hamilton Hayne | ||