 | Landmarks and other poems |  |
106
TWO RETURNS.
Last night I found your gentle face
Within the household air you bless;
The gather'd rays of happiness
Touch'd all things in the hearth-warm'd place.
Within the household air you bless;
The gather'd rays of happiness
Touch'd all things in the hearth-warm'd place.
Last night I dream'd a weird, sad dream:
The moonrise shiver'd through the trees,
With a low-moaning autumn breeze,
And fleck'd the roof with ghostly gleam.
The moonrise shiver'd through the trees,
With a low-moaning autumn breeze,
And fleck'd the roof with ghostly gleam.
Through frost-furr'd rose-vines warmly cast,
Welcoming arms of household flame
Reach'd forth to meet me as I came
And clasp me in from all the Past.
Welcoming arms of household flame
Reach'd forth to meet me as I came
And clasp me in from all the Past.
107
Glad voices made the walls alive
With murmur-music: loving sound
That even the world's far echoes found—
Lost bees of Love in Memory's hive!
With murmur-music: loving sound
That even the world's far echoes found—
Lost bees of Love in Memory's hive!
I paused, I listen'd: you were there!—
A moment and the wander'd years
Would melt in smiles or drown in tears,
And change would pass away in air!
A moment and the wander'd years
Would melt in smiles or drown in tears,
And change would pass away in air!
I knock'd: your footsteps lightly came,
And drew old music from my heart—
Oh, opening door! I stood apart:
Darkness!—no voice, no face, no flame!
And drew old music from my heart—
Oh, opening door! I stood apart:
Darkness!—no voice, no face, no flame!
No hurrying warmth of happy air,
Though the dear chimney rosily
Clasp'd close some lighted family:
You were not there, you were not there!
Though the dear chimney rosily
108
You were not there, you were not there!
“The wind!” half-whisper'd some one. Then
The Summer shut the Winter out:
The startled child with eager shout
Climb'd mother-knees secure again!
The Summer shut the Winter out:
The startled child with eager shout
Climb'd mother-knees secure again!
The walls were glad with laugh and shout:
Returning young, and lithe and gay,
Who shiver'd there so old and gray?—
The Summer shut the Winter out.
Returning young, and lithe and gay,
Who shiver'd there so old and gray?—
The Summer shut the Winter out.
And where were you? Dead years replied,
Slow, one by one.
—Another tone,
The dream in blissful waking flown,
Gave back the happy-hearted tide!
Slow, one by one.
—Another tone,
The dream in blissful waking flown,
Gave back the happy-hearted tide!
109
Snow warm'd to flowers by April air,
How brightly fell those dreadful years!
Lo, all my heart lay fresh in tears—
Your morning voice was on the stair!
How brightly fell those dreadful years!
Lo, all my heart lay fresh in tears—
Your morning voice was on the stair!
| Landmarks and other poems | |