Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1864-12-21
SLEEPING AND DREAMING.
J G. HOLLAND.

softly sink into the bath of sleep.
With eyelids shut SEQ around me close
The mottled, violet vapors ofthe derp,
That wrap me ia rePose
l aoat all night in the ethereal sea
That droNEs my pain and weariness In balm.
Careless of where ITS euTrents carry me,
I Or settle into calm.
That which the ear can hear Is silent all;
But. IN the lower stiffness which reach,
Soft whispers cali me. like the distant fall
OF waves upon the beach
Now like the ms,her "a hO with patient care
Has sOOthed to rest her faint o'erwearied boy,
Ny spirit leaves the couch and seeks the air
For freedom and for 10y
Drunk up like vapOrs by the morning sun,
Toe past and future rise and disappear;
md lines and spaces gather home and run
Into common - here.
Ny youth is round me- and the silent tomb
Has burst TO set its fairest prisoner free,
And / await her Ia the dewy gloom
of the old trysting tree.
mark the futter of her snowy dress,
hear the tripping of her fairy fee',
And now pressed closely in pure cares.
With ardent JOY We meet.
L tell again the story of my love:
drink again her lips delicious wine;
And, while the same old stars look down above.
Her eyes lOOk up 10 mine.
dream that am dreaming. and start.
Then dream that naught so real comes in dreams
Then kiss again 10 reassure my heart
That she Is what she seems.
Our steps tend homeward Lingering at the gate
l breathe, and breatheagain my fond good-n night
She shuts the cruel door and still wait
To watch her window light.
see the shadow of her dainty head
On curtains that pray her hand may stir.
Till all is dark; and then seek my bed
To dream dream of her
Like the swift moon that slides rom cloud TO cloud
With only hurried space to smile between,
pierce the phantoTns that around me crowd,
And glide from scene 10 scene-
clasp warm hands that long have lain in dust
| hear sweet voices that have long been still.
And earth and ca give up their hallowed trust
In answer TO my will.
And now, high gazing toward the starry dome.
see three angel forms come floating down
The long iost angels Of my early home
Ny night ofjoy TO crown.
They pause above. beyond my eager reach.
With arms envresihed, and forms of heavenly
grace:
And smiling back the love that smiles from each.
see them, lace TO lace
They breath no language, but their holy eyes
-, Beam embodied blessing on my heart,
That warm within my trustful bosom lies.
And never viii depart.
I drink the eflluence till through all my s0ul
l feel food of peaceful rapture flow,
That swells TO JOY at last and bursts control,
And awake; but 10!
With eyelids shut hold the vision fast,
And still detain il by my ardent prayer,
Iill faint and fainter grown, it fades at last
Into the ambient air.
Ny God. thank Thee for the bath Of sleep
That wraps in balm my weary heart and brain.
And browns within its waters still and deep
Ny sorrow and my pain.
thank Thee for my dreams. which loose the bond
That binds my spirit to its daily load.
Ind give il angel wings, 20 fly beyond
Its slumber-b bound abode.
thank Thee for these glimpses ofthe cline
That lies beyond the boundaries of sense
y here shall wash away the stains of time
In foods Of recompense;
: here. when this body sleeps to wake no more,
Ny soul shall rise to everlasting dreams.
md find unreal all il saw before,
And real all that seems.