 | [Poems by Cary in] The poems of Alice and Phoebe Cary with introduction and notes |  |
REMEMBRANCE.
I have struggled long with weakness,
But my heart is free at last;
Never more will it be haunted
With the phantoms of the past.
But my heart is free at last;
Never more will it be haunted
With the phantoms of the past.
Never more, from fairest maiden,
The light witchery of a word
Shall thrill my heart with rapture,
When its magic tones are heard.
The light witchery of a word
Shall thrill my heart with rapture,
When its magic tones are heard.
And that heart, so long made heavy
With inquietude and woe,
From its fetters loosed, is ringing,
Like a quick shaft from the bow.
With inquietude and woe,
From its fetters loosed, is ringing,
Like a quick shaft from the bow.
Forgotten be the trusted
That have lightly broke their trust:
And the dreams that I have cherished,
Let them perish in the dust!
That have lightly broke their trust:
And the dreams that I have cherished,
Let them perish in the dust!
Yet there was one fair maiden,
Sweetest vision of my youth,
She was lovely when I loved her,
And her words were like the truth.
Sweetest vision of my youth,
She was lovely when I loved her,
And her words were like the truth.
And they may have torn her from me;
She was faithful once, I know—
No, she smiled beside the altar,
And 't was not to hide her woe!
She was faithful once, I know—
No, she smiled beside the altar,
And 't was not to hide her woe!
And how can she, smiling, meet me
With that fearless, open brow?
'T was like heaven, of old, to kiss it,
'T would be heaven to kiss it now.
With that fearless, open brow?
'T was like heaven, of old, to kiss it,
'T would be heaven to kiss it now.
405
Pause, remembrance, since forever,
Leila, dreams of thee are sin—
Oh, I thought my heart was stronger
Till I paused and looked within!
Leila, dreams of thee are sin—
Oh, I thought my heart was stronger
Till I paused and looked within!
| [Poems by Cary in] The poems of Alice and Phoebe Cary with introduction and notes | |