 | The complete poetical writings of J. G. Holland |  |
VI.
A red rose in her raven hair
Whose curls were held by plait and braid,
The bride swept down the oaken stair,
And mantled like a bashful maid,
As, seated in the waiting chair,
Whose curls were held by plait and braid,
The bride swept down the oaken stair,
And mantled like a bashful maid,
As, seated in the waiting chair,
346
Behind the fragrant urn, she poured
The nectar of the morn's repast;
But fairer lady, fonder lord,
In happier hall ne'er broke their fast
With sweeter bread, at prouder board.
The nectar of the morn's repast;
But fairer lady, fonder lord,
In happier hall ne'er broke their fast
With sweeter bread, at prouder board.
And then they rose with common will,
And sought the parlor, cool and dim.
“Sing, love!” he said. “The birds grow still,
And wait with me to hear your hymn.”
She swept a low, preluding trill—
And sought the parlor, cool and dim.
“Sing, love!” he said. “The birds grow still,
And wait with me to hear your hymn.”
She swept a low, preluding trill—
A spray of sound—across the keys
That felt her fingers for the first;
And then, from simplest cadences,
A reverent melody she nursed,
And gave it voice in words like these:
That felt her fingers for the first;
And then, from simplest cadences,
A reverent melody she nursed,
And gave it voice in words like these:
“From full forgetfulness of pain,
From joy to opening joy again,
With bird and flower, and hill and tree,
We lift our eyes and hands to thee,
To greet thee, Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth!
From joy to opening joy again,
With bird and flower, and hill and tree,
We lift our eyes and hands to thee,
To greet thee, Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth!
“That thou dost bathe our souls anew
With balm of light and heavenly dew,
And smilest in our upward eyes
From the far blue of smiling skies,
We bless thee, Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth!
With balm of light and heavenly dew,
And smilest in our upward eyes
From the far blue of smiling skies,
We bless thee, Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth!
“For human love and love divine,
For love of ours and love of thine,
For heaven on earth and heaven above—
To thee and us twin homes of love—
We thank thee, Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth!
For love of ours and love of thine,
For heaven on earth and heaven above—
To thee and us twin homes of love—
We thank thee, Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth!
347
“O dove-like wings, so wide unfurled
In brooding calm above the world!
Waft us your holy peace, and raise
The incense of our morning praise
Up to our Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth!”
In brooding calm above the world!
Waft us your holy peace, and raise
The incense of our morning praise
Up to our Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth!”
| The complete poetical writings of J. G. Holland | |