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 | Three hours ; or, the vigil of love : and other poems |  |
7.
The lesson, rightly read, will showThe vanishing hope of things below.
50
Their life-draught in a single cup,—
Keeping their treasure in vessel of clay,
Till drop by drop it filters away.
And then, when thirsting, they must die,
Or do battle, hard and high
With dark thoughts that come like clouds
When the storm the night enshrouds;—
With wild wishes that like winds
Shake Hope's flower-seeds from our minds;
—Hopes are nursed 'neath sunny skies,
Passions on life's storms arise,—
And while their earthward burnings reign
The thirsty soul will seek in vain
For living waters,—draughts from heaven
Are only to the heaven-ward given.
| Three hours ; or, the vigil of love : and other poems | |