 | Lays of Leisure Hours |  |
368
MOTHER!—SWEET MOTHER!—HASTE.
Mother!—sweet Mother!—haste,
And fold me to thy heart,
In those kind arms embraced,
Less deadly seems Grief's smart.
And fold me to thy heart,
In those kind arms embraced,
Less deadly seems Grief's smart.
But ask me not—No! no!—
Ne'er ask me why I mourn,
Nor seek to sound my woe,
Nor strive to steal the thorn!
Ne'er ask me why I mourn,
Nor seek to sound my woe,
Nor strive to steal the thorn!
Still give me tear for tear,
Still grant me sigh for sigh,
'Tis all thou canst do here,
No change comes till I die!
Still grant me sigh for sigh,
'Tis all thou canst do here,
No change comes till I die!
369
Still yield me tear for tear,
And clasp mine aching brow,
Breathe kind words in mine ear,
'Tis all thou canst do now!
And clasp mine aching brow,
Breathe kind words in mine ear,
'Tis all thou canst do now!
Yes! pity me, and seek
To make my wild tears flow,
But urge me not to speak
My deep and deadly woe.
To make my wild tears flow,
But urge me not to speak
My deep and deadly woe.
Mother!—forbear—forbear—
If that thou lov'st thy child,
'Twould sharpen my despair
To speak of pangs so wild!
If that thou lov'st thy child,
'Twould sharpen my despair
To speak of pangs so wild!
To speak?—I dare not think
Upon my boundless woe,
Who gazes o'er the brink
Still tempts the depths below!
Upon my boundless woe,
Who gazes o'er the brink
Still tempts the depths below!
370
Mother!—sweet Mother!—haste,
On thy heart let me lie,
In those kind arms embraced
Would I depart and die!
On thy heart let me lie,
In those kind arms embraced
Would I depart and die!
| Lays of Leisure Hours | |