The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1864-07-22
4omp.
SLEEPING AND DREAMING.
NJ y. q. HOLLAND.

softiy sink into the bath Of sleep.
with eyellds shut, see around me close
The notified, violet vspors OF the deep,
That wrap me in repose.
I float all night In the ETHEREAL sea
That browns my pain and WEAKNESS In balm,
Careless Of where Its currents carry me,
Or settle into calm.
That which the ear can hear Is silent all,
But, In the lower stiffness which reach,
Soft whispers call me, like the distant fall
or waves upon tho beach.
Nov like the mother who with patient caro-
Hath soothed to rest her faint, o'crwearied boy,
My spirit leaves the couch, aud seeks the air
For freedom and for JOY.
Drunk up like vapors by tho morning sun,
The past and future rise and disappear,
And times and spaces gather home, and run
Into common sphere.
My youth Is round me, and the silent tomb
Has burst to set Its nirest prisoner free,
And await her In tho dewy gloom
or the old trysting tree.
mark the fiutter OF her snowy dress,
Ihear the tripping OF her fairy feet,
And now, pressed closely In pure eaross,
With ardent Joy We meet.
1 tell again tho story Of my love,
Idrink again her lips delicious wine,
And, while tho same old stars look down above,
Her eyes look up TO mine.
dream that I am dreaming, and start;
Thcn dream that nought so real comes in dreamsi
Then hss again to reassure my heart
That she Is what she seems.
Our steps tend homeward. Lingering ut the gatc,
Ibreathe, and breathe again,my fond good night,
Sho shuts tho cruel door, and still wait
To watch her window.llght,
SEQ the shadow OF her dainty head,
On cartains that pray her hand may stir,
Till all is dark and then seek my bed.
To dream dream Of her.
Like the swim moon that slides from cloud to
cloud.
with only hurried space TO smilo between,
Ipierce tho phantoms that around me crowd,
And glide from sceno to scene.
clasp warm hands that long have lain In dust,
Ihear sweet voices that have long been still,
And earth and sea give up their hallowed trust
In answer to my will.
And now, high gazing TO the starry dome,
Isec three angel forms como floating down.
Tho lons.lost angels or my early home
Ny night OF Joy to crown.
They pause above, beyond my eager reach,
With arms enwreathed and forms Of heavenly
grace,
And smiling back the love that smiles from each,
. I sec them, face TO acc.
They breathe no language, but their holy eyes
Beam an embodied blessing on my heart,
That warm within my trustful bosom lies,
And never will depart.
drink tho sfnuencc. TIL through all my soul
Iieel food OF peaceful rapture how,
That swsiis to Joy at last, and bursts control,
Andl awakej but 10!
With eyelds shut, hold the vision fast,
And still detain II by my ardent prayer,
Till faint and fainter grown, II iados at last
Into the ambient air.
My God thank Thee for the bath OF slocp,
That wraps In balm my weary heart and brain,
And browns within Its waters still and deep
My sorrow and my pain.
thank Thee for my dreams. which loose tho bond
That binds my spirit TO Its daily load,
And gives II angel wings, TO ny beyond
Its slumber-bound abode.
thank Thco for these glimpscs OF the clme
That lies beyond the boundaries OF sense,
Whore shall wash away the stains Of time
In foods Of reeompense
Where, when this body sleeps to wake no more,
My soul shall rise to everlasting dreams,
And and unreal all 10 saw before