# A Sunset Fantasy

Spellbound by a sweet fantasy  At evenglow I stand Beside an opaline strange sea  That rings a sunset land.
The rich lights fade out one by one,  And, like a peony Drowning in wine, the crimson sun  Sinks down in that strange sea.
His wake across the ocean-floor  In a long glory lies, Like a gold wave-way to the shore  Of some sea paradise.
My dream flies after him, and I  Am in another land; The sun sets in another sky,  And we sit hand in hand.
Gray eyes look into mine; such eyes  I think the angel's are — Soft as the soft light in the skies  When shines the morning star,
And tremulous as morn, when thin  Gold lights begin to glow, Revealing the bright soul within  As dawn the sun below.
So, hand in hand, we watch the sun  Burn down the Western deeps, Dreaming a charmed dream, as one  Who in enchantment sleeps;
A dream of how we twain some day,  Careless of map or chart, Will both take ship and sail away  Into the sunset's heart.
Our ship shall be of sandal built,  Like ships in old-world tales, Carven with cunning art, and gilt,  And winged with scented sails
Of silver silk, whereon the red  Great gladioli burn,
A rainbow-flag at her masthead,  A rose-flag at her stern;
And, perching on the point above  Wherefrom the pennon blows, The figure of a flying dove,  And in her beak a rose.
And from the fading land the breeze  Shall bring us, blowing low, Old odours and old memories,  And airs of long ago —
A melody that has no words  Of mortal speech a part, Yet touching all the deepest chords  That tremble in the heart:
A scented song blown oversea,  As though from bowers of bloom A wind-harp in a lilac-tree  Breathed music and perfume.
And we, no more with longings pale,  Will smile to hear it blow; I in the shadow of the sail,  You in the sunset-glow.
For, with the fading land, our fond  Old fears shall all fade out, Paled by the light from shores beyond  The dread of Death or Doubt.
And from a gloomy cloud above  When Death his shadow flings, The Spirit of Immortal Love  Will shield us with his wings.
He is the lord of dreams divine,  And lures us with his smiles Along the splendour opaline  Unto the Blessed Isles.
This work is in the public domain in Australia because it was created in Australia and the term of copyright has expired. According to Australian Copyright Council - Duration of Copyright, the following works are public domain:
* published non-government works whose author died before January 1, 1955,
* anonymous or pseudonymous works and photographs published before January 1, 1955, and
* government works published more than 50 years ago (before January 1, 1974).
This work is also in the public domain in the United States because it was first published outside the United States (and not published in the U.S. within 30 days), and it was first published before 1989 without complying with U.S. copyright formalities (renewal and/or copyright notice) and it was in the public domain in Australia on the URAA date (January 1, 1996). This is the combined effect of Australia having joined the Berne Convention in 1928, and of 17 USC 104A with its critical date of January 1, 1996.
Because the Australian copyright term in 1996 was 50 years, the critical date for copyright in the United States under the URAA is January 1, 1946.
This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.
Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse
This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse