New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-07-12

4 grand Old Neptune in the Prov,
with beard as blown by winda OF seas,
GRAY browed, and stained with rain and storm
A crizzled king. see him now
Stand no. turn dreamjly, look hack
Along the low boats wrnkled track,
Then fold mantle round form
Broad built as any Re.cules;
And so sit silently.
Beside
The turbaned sea- king sat his bride,
A great sad beauty, in whose eyes
Lay all the peace Of Paradise;
A sun.bOrn blossom, rudely torn
From out the lilies, to be worn
Above - stern breast as ere
stood king at sea or anywhere.
A sad, sweet dreamer; one who knew
Not anything Of earth at all
Nor cared to know its bane OF bliss;
dove that did not touch the land.
And this may be because she drew
Her all of life right frem the hand
OF God, and did not choose to learn
The things that make up earth's concern,
Al! there be souls none understand:
Like clouds they can not touch the land,
Drive az they may by field or town.
Then we look wise at this arc frown,
And we cry foo" and cry take hold
OF earth and fashion gods OF gold
Unanchored ships, that blow and blow,
Sail to and fro. and then 60 down
In unknown eeas that none shall know,
Without one ripple OF renOwn;
Poor lifting dreame-s sailing by,
That seem to only live to die.
Can these not fools; the ties. Of worth
Is not the hold you have OF earth.
L9! there be gentlts t souls searbiOwn
That know not any harbOr known
And it may be the reason is
ihey touch on fairer shores than this.
Her mouth was Egypts mouth of old.
Pushed out and pOuting full and bold
With simple beauty. Why, her mouth
Was roses gathered from the South;
The warm south side OF Paradise
Then breathed upon and handed Down
By angels On.a stair Of stars.
Yea, you had loved her for her eyes
Her large and melancholy look
OF tenderness and well mistoOk
Her sad face for some soul frOwa
Forbidden NJ the golden bars.
That old abandoned beauty sat
About her mouth. Yea. you had said
Far centuries. The wos shipper
OF old.time beauty, seeing her,
Had said: The great forgotten dead
OF fair dead Egypt on the rim
OF Times remotest reach 10 here.
And story, who wrought Semiramis
AID shaped the Sibyls, seeing this,
Had barred his head, and, drawing near,
Had bowed and made shrine thereat,
And all his life had w0rshiped her.
That dresminess that fills the eyes
OF sun born Pagan worshiper
Wss hers. Her soul seemed far away;
She seemed to see still calner skies-
To see the white waves leap and play
Round isles in some far middle seas;
See coral reefs blown white with spume
BY winds made sweet with the perfume
Of trailing vines and leaning trees,
And she was very sad.
All day
Her two round hands silk. soft aud brown
In her ungathered garments lay
Half hid and doubled helplessly;
AL day she did not speak or stir;
All day che leaned her wistfully
And took no note at all; all day
Der black abundant hair fell down
IN rippled currents over her.
At night they touched the lily shore,
And passed on, in night indeed,
Against the far white waterfall.
saw no more, shall now no more
OF her for aye. And you who read
This broken bit of dream will smile,
HALF vexed, that saw aught at ali.
The wave struck str0phes in the reed,
Aud all the sad song OF the oar
That long, long night. against the Nile,
Was: NevermOre and NevermOre
This eide that other shore that lies
Like Nile below the Paradise.
AFRO, EGYPT. 1874.