 | Sonnets and Other Poems Chiefly Religious |  |
24
BELFAST LOUGH.
I sailed at morning down the bay,
'Mid scenes familiar to my sight.
The sky was neither dark nor bright,
And mist upon the water lay;
'Mid scenes familiar to my sight.
The sky was neither dark nor bright,
And mist upon the water lay;
And somewhat dimly, through the mist,
The mountains rose; no light and shade
Upon their sides in beauty played;
No floating clouds their summits kissed.
The mountains rose; no light and shade
Upon their sides in beauty played;
No floating clouds their summits kissed.
Wide were the waters round me spread;
They slumbered not in heavenly blue,
Nor rolled in waves of emerald hue,
But almost had the tint of lead.
They slumbered not in heavenly blue,
Nor rolled in waves of emerald hue,
But almost had the tint of lead.
No billows dashed upon the shore,
Nor whitened o'er the open seas;
There was no freshness in the breeze;
Sea, earth, and sky no gladness wore.
Nor whitened o'er the open seas;
There was no freshness in the breeze;
Sea, earth, and sky no gladness wore.
It was my home, the scene around,
Though not in light and smiles arrayed;
It seemed a place for labour made,
Where pleasure hardly might be found.
Though not in light and smiles arrayed;
It seemed a place for labour made,
Where pleasure hardly might be found.
25
Again I sailed, at evening, back.
The mountains wore a purple gloom,
And strangely did the sun illume
With level rays the vessel's track;
The mountains wore a purple gloom,
And strangely did the sun illume
With level rays the vessel's track;
For where the mountain ridge is low
The sun was sinking to his rest;
And all the spaces of the West
Were filled with opal-tinted glow;
The sun was sinking to his rest;
And all the spaces of the West
Were filled with opal-tinted glow;
And down upon the waters wide
A flood of fiery radiance came,
A column made of wavy flame,
And rippled in the rippling tide.
A flood of fiery radiance came,
A column made of wavy flame,
And rippled in the rippling tide.
Where fronts the hill the setting sun,
The windows of the village turned
To ruddy fire; awhile they burned,
Then ceased, like tapers, one by one.
The windows of the village turned
To ruddy fire; awhile they burned,
Then ceased, like tapers, one by one.
The mist was changed to doubtful light;
The mountains of the western shore
Were farther, larger, than before;
And scattered sails were gleaming white.
The mountains of the western shore
Were farther, larger, than before;
And scattered sails were gleaming white.
It was my home, the scene around,
Though not in home-like light arrayed
It seemed a place for visions made,
Enchanted sea, and fairy ground.
Though not in home-like light arrayed
It seemed a place for visions made,
Enchanted sea, and fairy ground.
26
And, as I gazed upon the change,
I thought;—The second world, foretold
By many a sage and seer of old,
May not itself be new or strange;
I thought;—The second world, foretold
By many a sage and seer of old,
May not itself be new or strange;
Only another light may shine
Than that which rules our earthly days;
For we shall dwell beneath the rays
Of Light Eternal and Divine.
Than that which rules our earthly days;
For we shall dwell beneath the rays
Of Light Eternal and Divine.
| Sonnets and Other Poems Chiefly Religious | |