 | A collection of poems on various subjects |  |
8
ROBIN AND ANNA.
She listens—“'Tis the wind,” she cries,
The moon that rose so full and bright
Is now o'ercast; she looks, she sighs,
And fears 't will be a stormy night.
The moon that rose so full and bright
Is now o'ercast; she looks, she sighs,
And fears 't will be a stormy night.
Not long was Anna wed; her mate,
A fisherman, was out at sea,
“The night is dark, the hour is late,
“The wind is high, and where is he?”
A fisherman, was out at sea,
“The night is dark, the hour is late,
“The wind is high, and where is he?”
“O who would love? O who would wed
“A wand'ring fisherman; to be
“A wretched lonely wife, and dread
“Each breath that blows when he's at sea?
“A wand'ring fisherman; to be
“A wretched lonely wife, and dread
“Each breath that blows when he's at sea?
9
Not long was Anna wed; one pledge
Of tender love, her bosom bore—
The storm comes down, the billows rage,
Its father is not yet on shore!
Of tender love, her bosom bore—
The storm comes down, the billows rage,
Its father is not yet on shore!
“O who would think her portion bless'd,
“A wand'ring seaman's wife to be,
“To hug the infant to her breast,
“Whose father's on a stormy sea?”
“A wand'ring seaman's wife to be,
“To hug the infant to her breast,
“Whose father's on a stormy sea?”
The thunder bursts, the lightning falls,
The casement rattles with the rain;
And as the gusty tempest bawls,
The little cottage quakes again.
The casement rattles with the rain;
And as the gusty tempest bawls,
The little cottage quakes again.
She does not speak, she does not sigh,
She gazes on her infant dear;
A smile lights up the cherub's eye,
Which dims its mother's with a tear.
She gazes on her infant dear;
A smile lights up the cherub's eye,
Which dims its mother's with a tear.
10
“O who would be a seaman's wife,
“O who would bear a seaman's child,
“To tremble for her husband's life,
“To weep because her infant smil'd?”
“O who would bear a seaman's child,
“To tremble for her husband's life,
“To weep because her infant smil'd?”
Ne'er had'st thou borne a seaman's boy,
Ne'er had thy husband left the shore,
Thou ne'er had'st felt the frantic joy
To see thy Robin—at the door!
Ne'er had thy husband left the shore,
Thou ne'er had'st felt the frantic joy
To see thy Robin—at the door!
To press his weather-beaten cheek,
To kiss it dry and warm again;
To weep for joy, thou could'st not speak—
Such pleasure's in the debt of pain!
To kiss it dry and warm again;
To weep for joy, thou could'st not speak—
Such pleasure's in the debt of pain!
Thy cheerful fire, thy plain repast,
Thy little couch of love, I ween,
Were ten times sweeter than the last,
And not a cloud that night was seen.
Thy little couch of love, I ween,
Were ten times sweeter than the last,
And not a cloud that night was seen.
11
O happy pair!—the pains, you know,
Still hand in hand with pleasure come;
For often does the tempest blow,
And Robin still is—safe at home.
Still hand in hand with pleasure come;
For often does the tempest blow,
And Robin still is—safe at home.
| A collection of poems on various subjects | |