Flower Pieces and other poems :: :: University of Virginia Library

Sound of feet
In the lonely street,
Coming to-night,—coming to me?
Perhaps (why not? it well may be)
My dear old friend
From the world's end,
At last.
How we shall meet,
And shout and greet,
(O hearty voice that memory knows!)
Till the first gush and rush be past,
And smoother now the current flows;
Plenty on either side to tell,
Sharing joy, and soothing pain
As friendship's tongue can do so well
Hush! hark!
I hear, in the dark—
Only the footsteps of the rain.

II.

Stay! stay!
Coming this way
Through the dull night—perhaps to me—
Coming, coming, coming fast,
(And why may not such things be?)
A messenger's feet
In the lonely street,
With some good wonderful news to say
At last.

A word has been spoken,
A bad spell broken,
Men see aright,
All faces are bright,
For the world to-morrow begins anew;
There's much to plan, and plenty to do;
Away! search, sift the country through,
And say at once to a certain few:
‘Come, for our gain,
We know you, and now we have work for you.’
Hush! hark!
I hear, in the dark—
Only the footsteps of the rain.

III.

Close, close,
Outside the house,
Steps approaching!—are these for me?
Coming gently, coming fast,
(And O, if this can be!)—
Out of the strife
Of selfish life
My Love has fled of a sudden,—'tis She,
At last!
Here she stands,
Eyes and mouth and tender form
True and warm;
My dream of many a lonely year;
Stretches her hands—
No doubt or fear—
‘See, my Love, 'tis all in vain
To keep true lovers parted,
If they be faithful-hearted!’
Hush! hark!
I hear, in the dark—
Only the footsteps of the rain.