 | [Poems by Cary in] The poems of Alice and Phoebe Cary with introduction and notes |  |
THE HOSTS OF THOUGHT.
How heavy fall the evening shades,
Making the earth more dark and drear,
As to its sunset sadly fades
This, the last Sabbath of the year!
Making the earth more dark and drear,
As to its sunset sadly fades
This, the last Sabbath of the year!
Oft, when the light has softly burned
Among the clouds, as day was done,
I 've watched their golden furrows turned
By the red plowshare of the sun.
Among the clouds, as day was done,
I 've watched their golden furrows turned
By the red plowshare of the sun.
447
To-night, no track of billowy gold
Is softly slanting down the skies;
But dull-gray bastions, dark and cold,
Shut all the glory from my eyes.
Is softly slanting down the skies;
But dull-gray bastions, dark and cold,
Shut all the glory from my eyes.
And in the plain that lies below,
What cheerless prospect meets my eye!
One long and level reach of snow,
Stretching to meet the western sky!
What cheerless prospect meets my eye!
One long and level reach of snow,
Stretching to meet the western sky!
While far across these lonesome vales,
Like a lost soul, and unconfined,
Down through the mountain gorges wails
The awful spirit of the wind.
Like a lost soul, and unconfined,
Down through the mountain gorges wails
The awful spirit of the wind.
When, yester-eve, the twilight stilled,
With soft, caressing hand, the day,
Upon my heart, that joyous thrilled,
A sweet, tumultuous vision lay.
With soft, caressing hand, the day,
Upon my heart, that joyous thrilled,
A sweet, tumultuous vision lay.
To-night, in sorrow's arms enwound,
I think of broken faith and trust,
And tresses, from their flowers unbound,
Hid in the dimness of the dust.
I think of broken faith and trust,
And tresses, from their flowers unbound,
Hid in the dimness of the dust.
And hopes that took their heavenward flight,
As fancy lately gave them birth,
Slow through the solemn air to-night
Are beating backward to the earth.
As fancy lately gave them birth,
Slow through the solemn air to-night
Are beating backward to the earth.
O memory, if the shadowy hand
Lock all thy death-crypts close and fast,
Call not my spirit back to stand
In the dark chamber of the past!
Lock all thy death-crypts close and fast,
Call not my spirit back to stand
In the dark chamber of the past!
For trembling fear, and mortal doubt,
About me all day long have been;
So even the dreary world without
Is brighter than the world within.
About me all day long have been;
So even the dreary world without
Is brighter than the world within.
Pale hosts of thought before me start:
O for that needed power I lack,
To guard the fortress of my heart,
And press their awful columns back!
O for that needed power I lack,
To guard the fortress of my heart,
And press their awful columns back!
448
O for a soul to meet their gaze,
And grapple fearless with its woe!
As the wild athlete, of old days,
In the embraces of the foe!
And grapple fearless with its woe!
As the wild athlete, of old days,
In the embraces of the foe!
Thoughts of the many lost and loved,—
Each unfulfilled and noble plan,—
Memories of Sabbaths unimproved,—
Duty undone to God or man;—
Each unfulfilled and noble plan,—
Memories of Sabbaths unimproved,—
Duty undone to God or man;—
They come, with solemn, warning frown,
Like ghosts about some haunted tent;
And courage silently goes down,
Before their dreadful armament.
Like ghosts about some haunted tent;
And courage silently goes down,
Before their dreadful armament.
O friend of mine, in years agone,
Where'er, at this dark hour, thou art,
Why hast thou left me here alone,
To fight the battles of the heart?
Where'er, at this dark hour, thou art,
Why hast thou left me here alone,
To fight the battles of the heart?
Alone? A soft eye's tender light
Is turned to meet my anxious glance;
And, struggling upward from the night,
My soul hath broken from the trance.
Is turned to meet my anxious glance;
And, struggling upward from the night,
My soul hath broken from the trance.
Love is omnipotent to check
Such 'wildering fancies of the brain;
A soft hand trembles on my neck,
And lo, I sit with hope again!
Such 'wildering fancies of the brain;
A soft hand trembles on my neck,
And lo, I sit with hope again!
Even the sky no longer seems
Like a dull barrier, built afar;
And through its crumbling wall there gleams
The sweet flame of one burning star.
Like a dull barrier, built afar;
And through its crumbling wall there gleams
The sweet flame of one burning star.
The winds, that from the mountain's brow
Came down the dreary plains to sweep,
Back, in the cavernous hollow, now
Have softly sung themselves to sleep.
Came down the dreary plains to sweep,
Back, in the cavernous hollow, now
Have softly sung themselves to sleep.
Come, thou, whose love no waning knows,
And put thy gentle hand in mine,
For strong in faith my spirit grows,
Leaning confidingly on thine.
And put thy gentle hand in mine,
For strong in faith my spirit grows,
Leaning confidingly on thine.
449
And in the calm, or in the strife,
If side by side with thee I move,
Hereafter I will live a life
That shall not shame thy trusting love.
If side by side with thee I move,
Hereafter I will live a life
That shall not shame thy trusting love.
Memory and fear, with all their powers,
No more my soul shall crush or bend;
For the great future still is ours,
And thou art with me, O my friend!
No more my soul shall crush or bend;
For the great future still is ours,
And thou art with me, O my friend!
| [Poems by Cary in] The poems of Alice and Phoebe Cary with introduction and notes | |