 | The poetical writings of the late Willis Gaylord Clark |  |
101
WOMAN.
I.
Methinks there is no lovelier sight on earth,Than gentle woman in her earlier years;
Before one cloud hath gathered o'er her mirth,
Ere her bright eye grows dim with secret tears!
When life the semblance of a dream doth wear,
And earth is basking in a joyous smile;
When rich delight breathes in the golden air,
And boundless fancies may the heart beguile!
II.
I have bowed down to woman—not as oneWho idly worships at a careless shrine,
But as the heathen bends unto the sun,
Whose rays gleam round him—eloquent, divine!
Not like a lingerer in Fashion's train,
Who smiles and flatters a believing few;
False in his heart, perchance, and cold and vain,
Whose words are fables—thoughtless and untrue.
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III.
But I am happy, when around my wayThose flowers of being ever chance to spring;
'T is like an hour of dreams, when fairies play,
And gentle wild-birds dance on glittering wing;
Care is a shadow then; and in my heart
The well-springs of deep ecstasy arise;
I feel each sense of loneliness depart;
Like storm-clouds melting from the April skies.
IV.
Oh, if my prayer might unto heaven ascend,'T would be that woman might be ever blest;
That flower and sunlight in her path might blend,
And tranquil visions lull her peaceful rest;
I would that Time might bear upon his wing,
Untroubled brightness for each fleeting day;
And every scene, which Hope is picturing,
Grow clearer as existence wears away.
V.
And, as a gift from Heaven to cheer us here,I would that woman, when life's hour is done,
Might pass, like starlight when the atmosphere
Is colored faintly with the approaching sun;
Passing from earth to a more cloudless scene,
Where brighter gems in purer skies are set;
Where crystal fountains play in pastures green,
Blending, in fancy's spell, with joy and memory yet!
| The poetical writings of the late Willis Gaylord Clark | |