A Story At Dusk
An evening all aglow with summer light And autumn colour-fairest of the year. The wheat-fields, crowned with shocks of tawny gold, All interspersed with rough sowthistle roots, And interlaced with white convolvulus, Lay, flecked with purple shadows, in the sun. The shouts of little children, gleaning there The scattered ears and wild blue-bottle flowers- […]
A Sigh In The Night
O sweet darkness, still, and calm, and lonely! Spread thy downy pinions round about. Spare me from thy hidden riches only One dream-face; blot all the others out. Bring him now, for thou hast power to free him, From that ugly garb he wears by day; Bring him now-my darling!-let me see him Ere […]
A Sermon
Midsummer, 1867. We have heard many sermons, you and I, And many more may hear, When sitting quiet in cathedral nave, With folded palms and faces meek and grave;- But few like this one, dear. We ofttimes watch together ‘fore the veil, With reverent, gleaming eyes, While priestly hands are busy with the folds,- […]
A Prayer
Spirit and Breath of Life, whate’er Thy name! Bear with Thy creature, Man, That makes his dwelling-place a blot of shame Upon the Ordered Plan. Not Thy hand, O Divine Designer, hurled Athwart the starlit skies One blood-stained, greed-diseased, hate-eaten world, To shock celestial eyes. Not Thy default, O Beautiful, this crust Of fratricidal […]
A Dream Of Venice
Numb, half asleep, and dazed with whirl of wheels, And gasp of steam, and measured clank of chains, I heard a blithe voice break a sudden pause, Ringing familiarly through the lamp-lit night, “Wife, here’s your Venice!” I was lifted down, And gazed about in stupid wonderment, Holding my little Katie by the hand- […]