Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1854-02-04
The Ocean.
By GEORGE d. PRENTICE.

How beautiful From his blue throne on high
The sun looks downward with face Of love
Upon the silent waters and the sky,
Loyeiier than that which lifts its arch above,
Down the far depths Of ocean, like sheet
OF fame, IL trembling the wild tempesfs cease
Towave their cloudy pinions. Oh !. It's sweet
To gaze on Ocean in his hour OF peace!
Years have gone by since first my infant eyes
Rested upon those waters. Once again, ~~
As here muse, the hours Of chi!hood rise
Faint o'er my memory, like some strain
z or half forgotten music. Yon blue wave
Still, still rolls ON in beauty but the tide
OF years rolls darklng DER the lonely grave
or hopes, that with my Iife's bright morning died!
Lock! look the clouds light shadows from above,
Like fairy islands, Ger the waters sweep!
Oh have dreamed my spirit thus could love
To floai forever on the boundless deep,
Commnning with the elements; 70 hear, a
Atmidnight hour, the death wing d tempest wave,
Or gaze, aimiring, on each starry sphere,
y, Chasing its glories in the mirror wave =
To dream, deep ning.ing with the shades Of eve,
On Oceans spirits, caves, and coral halls
Where, ctid and dark, the eternal biio~s hease,
No zepayr breathes, nor struggling sunbeam laus
And round some far isle of the burning zone,
Where sropic groves perfumed the breath Of morn,
List to the Oceans melancholy tone, ~
Like lone mourneras on the night wind borne =
70 see the infant wave on yon blue verge,
Like young eagle, breast the sinking sun,
Till down the Deep dark zenith, one by one,
The lights Of heayen were streaming; or to weep
The last, the beautiful, that calmly rest . p
Beneath the eternal wave then sink to sleep,
flushed by the beating Of the Oceans breast
y Oh, it were joy to wander wild and free ~
Where southern bilows In the sunt ght fash,
Or Night sits brooding Ger the northern sea,
And al IL stiH, save the overwhelming dash
OF that dark world Of waters; there to view
The meteor hanging from its cloud on high,
To see the northern fires, with blood red hue,
Shake their wild tresses Ger the startled sky. =
'Tfs sweet, 'tis sweet 10 gaze upon the deep,
And muse upon its mysteries. There it roRd,
- Ere vet that glorious sun had learned to sweep
The blue profound, and bathe the heav'n In gold
The morning stars, AZ up the skies they came,
Heard their first music Ger the Ocean rung,
+, And saw the first fash Of their new born flame
Back from its depths in softer brightness flung.
4 And there it rolls Age after age has swept s%
Down, down the eternal cataract of time.
Men after on Earths cold bosom slept;
Still there it rolls unfading and sublime!
As bright those waves their sunny sparkles fling,
Assweetiy now the bending heaven they kiss,
Al when the Holy Spirits brooding wing
at MoFed Ger the waters Of the vast abyss! s$st Z
There, there, 1t rolls Iye seen the clouds unfuri
Their raven banner from the stormy west
n I've seen the wrathful tempest spirit hun
His blue forked hghtnings at the Oceans breast:
The sterm-cloud passed-the sinking wave was hushd
Those budding isles were gttering fresh and fair
eerenely bright the peaceful waters biushed;
And heaven seem'd painting its own beauties thesy
Ocean, farewell !-Repose thy mighty shore,
n lloyd In chldhood's fairy hours to dwell
But am wasting-iife win soon be o'e1,
And shall cease to ganc on thee,--farcweni
Thou stia witt glow - fair - now--the sky @
Sdll arch u proudly Ger thee--Eyening steA
Along Thy bospm with ~ soft dye
n Al be d now-but Ishall cease 10 feet!
The evening mis&s are on their silent way,
And thou art fading; faint their cOlus blend
With the last tinges II the dying day, .ss
And deeper shadows mp the sky ascend
Farewell farewell the night is coming fast
Indeeper tones thy Wild notes seem 70 swell
Upon the cold wings Of the rising blast
segsI goI go-deaf Ocean, fare thee well!