 | [Poems by Moody in] William Vaughn Moody : A Study by David Dodds Henry |  |
243
A SICK-ROOM FANCY
Out of the broken life,
The choking tomb;
Out of the storm and strife,
The glare and gloom—
(Sad heart, 'tis meant for thee,
Take thou the prophecy)
Beauty and bloom.
The choking tomb;
Out of the storm and strife,
The glare and gloom—
(Sad heart, 'tis meant for thee,
Take thou the prophecy)
Beauty and bloom.
What finger can unwind
All subtle threads that bind
Body and soul and mind?
What thought may stand and say
‘Thus flies the shade away?’
What knowledge may scan
The unimagined plan,
Saying ‘Cannot’ and ‘Can’?
All subtle threads that bind
Body and soul and mind?
What thought may stand and say
‘Thus flies the shade away?’
What knowledge may scan
The unimagined plan,
Saying ‘Cannot’ and ‘Can’?
How dewy fresh it keeps,
The little wilding flower,
In the glass beside the bed.
See, he no longer sleeps
But turns his weary head
And gazes at the flower;
Sunburst of glad surprise
Brimming the sunken eyes.
The little wilding flower,
In the glass beside the bed.
See, he no longer sleeps
But turns his weary head
And gazes at the flower;
Sunburst of glad surprise
Brimming the sunken eyes.
A soul is in the rose—
Her gentle soul, who knows?
Which, bound by Death's dread law,
Yet could not quite forego
Love's presence, haply saw
The flower-form, used it so.
Her gentle soul, who knows?
Which, bound by Death's dread law,
Yet could not quite forego
Love's presence, haply saw
The flower-form, used it so.
A soul is in the rose—
Her gentle soul, who knows?
Waiting the time to rest
Upon the pallid breast
Of him, the loved and best:
(Placed there by one who knew
Their secret, and was true)
So, hand in hand, lip on lip,
All circling bonds to slip;
So leave the twilight room,
One breath of vague perfume;
Out to immensity.
Starlight and sky and sea,
Wandering, while on while,
Nearer that argent isle
Which from the dawn of time,
Gemmed in seas hyaline,
Wrapped in a cloudless clime,
Bird-song, bee-humming,
Ever through soft sky-shine
Bided their coming.
Her gentle soul, who knows?
Waiting the time to rest
Upon the pallid breast
Of him, the loved and best:
(Placed there by one who knew
Their secret, and was true)
So, hand in hand, lip on lip,
All circling bonds to slip;
So leave the twilight room,
One breath of vague perfume;
Out to immensity.
Starlight and sky and sea,
Wandering, while on while,
Nearer that argent isle
Which from the dawn of time,
244
Wrapped in a cloudless clime,
Bird-song, bee-humming,
Ever through soft sky-shine
Bided their coming.
Languid eyes trying
If they can see
Through chest of dying
Life's verity.
Truth weareth strange guide;
Follow thy fancy!
Ere they must close
Comfort the dying eye,
Thus, little rose.
If they can see
Through chest of dying
Life's verity.
Truth weareth strange guide;
Follow thy fancy!
Ere they must close
Comfort the dying eye,
Thus, little rose.
| [Poems by Moody in] William Vaughn Moody : A Study by David Dodds Henry | |