 | Poems |  |
APRIL.
“The clouds return after the rain.”—
Eccl. xii. 2.
Eccl. xii. 2.
A fitful, wistful April sky,
At last a breath of Spring again,
A glimpse to rest the weary eye,
A spark of hope, a sigh of pain,
The clouds returning after rain!
At last a breath of Spring again,
A glimpse to rest the weary eye,
A spark of hope, a sigh of pain,
The clouds returning after rain!
My little darling and delight,
To thee all wintry clouds are vain;
For once, for all, they take their flight.
Thy summer is an endless gain,
Thy clouds return not after rain.
To thee all wintry clouds are vain;
For once, for all, they take their flight.
Thy summer is an endless gain,
Thy clouds return not after rain.
Alas! how short my summers be,
How long is winter's dreary reign;
The sunny days so swiftly flee,
The snowy drifts so long remain,
Thy clouds so fast succeed the rain!
How long is winter's dreary reign;
The sunny days so swiftly flee,
The snowy drifts so long remain,
Thy clouds so fast succeed the rain!
117
For buds the sunshine should delay,
Lest, nipped by frost, their bloom be vain;
But for the flower that fades away,
The sunbeams only burn and stain—
For this the cloud must follow rain.
Lest, nipped by frost, their bloom be vain;
But for the flower that fades away,
The sunbeams only burn and stain—
For this the cloud must follow rain.
Bask in thy summer, fairest child!
Thy tender bloom and blush attain;
For thee let all the winds be mild,
All summer sweets attend thy train,
Nor any clouds come after rain.
Thy tender bloom and blush attain;
For thee let all the winds be mild,
All summer sweets attend thy train,
Nor any clouds come after rain.
God sends us each to suit our need.
He offers to my bitter pain
The coming rest that rests indeed,
The sleep that never comes in vain,
The cloud returning after rain.
He offers to my bitter pain
The coming rest that rests indeed,
The sleep that never comes in vain,
The cloud returning after rain.
| Poems | |