, 1863-03-21
Death: A Dream.
Twas the solemn hour when the midnight bel
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Twas the solemn hour when the midnight bell
Tolls deep on the startled air
And the brave soul as it lists to the knel,
Is moved with the pulse of prayer
And strange form swept with hurrying fight
And a noiseless pinion by;
His wings were tipped with glimmering light
The rest was Of midnight dye.
Then 1 sought my futtering heart to still,
And my bloodless lips to part
And to wake from the soul benumbing chill,
Ere the vision should depart.
Butmy faint words died on the air away
As the breath of the wavering tree;
And the warm blood ceased in my heart to play,
AS he answered, " Come with me /"
Then he swept with the leecy clouds on high,
And over the ocean foam,
For a span to him was the boundless sky,
And the wide earth was his home.
And we traversed the depths of the palace hall
To the room where the monarch lay;
And he left behind him a sable pail,
And he bore king away.
We went where the shivering miser told
With palsfed and trembling tongue
The shining heaps of his yellow gold,
That canked as the death shrek rung.
And he waved his wing where the dyinglght
OF the pallid student burned,
sAnd the beamng eye grew more widely bright
And the flush Of the cheek returned:
And as radiant visions of deathless fame
Waxed bright on the futures sky,
His scornful laugh the still air came
Like fallen angels sigh
Then we entered the crowded festaI room,
When laughter and song were high;
And he cast from his wings their fearful gloom,
And smiled on the rosebud nigh.
But his breath went up on the fragrant air,
And he singled out his prey;
And be watched the form that was farest there
And said, Twill be mine to day
We rode on the glance of the morning ray,
To the house where Love had smiled;
And fair yong mother knet down to pray
By the couch of her tirst-born child.
And his chilling breath glazed the half-closed eye
As he stilled the throbbing heart
Nor paused for the mothers frantic cry
As he hastened to depart
Then we fed to the city's crowded street,
To the race and storm of life,
And he paused the rich and poor to greet,
As he mingled in the strife.
When the last faint light of departing day
Had with crimson touched the sea,
We swept DER the bilow's crest away,
On the tempests pinion free.
And he paused where the gallant ship so gay
Sunk down meath the foaming wave;
Where wildly went up with the waters lay
The Shrek of the seaman brave
As I saw him shake from his silyery wing,
The oceans glttering foam,
We fed to the spot where my heart-strings cling,
And l sought once more my home.
And again I heard that fearful laugh,
Like fallen angels sigh,
As he fled from my sight on the viewless path,
Where the summer breezes fly.
And my soul in that long and powerful flight
No longer sought to share
But it rose through the mists and clouds of night
With the snow white bird of prayer.
For knew had been with the conqueror Death
On his strange and tireless way
And felt the blast of his ftful breath
On the chords of my spirit play.
Day dawned, and walked from the thrilling dream
The vision had passed away;
But the shadow That fell from its fearful CLEAN
Fled not with the morning ray.