A SONG BEFORE GRIEF
By Rose Hawthorne Lathrop
Sorrow, my friend,When shall you come again?The wind is slow, and the bent willows sendTheir silvery motions wearily down the plain.The bird is deadThat sang this morning through the summer rain!Sorrow, my friend,I owe my soul to you.And if my life with any glory endOf tenderness for others, and the words are true,Said, honoring, when I’m dead,—Sorrow, to you, the mellow praise, the funeral wreath, are due.
Sorrow, my friend,When shall you come again?The wind is slow, and the bent willows sendTheir silvery motions wearily down the plain.The bird is deadThat sang this morning through the summer rain!Sorrow, my friend,I owe my soul to you.And if my life with any glory endOf tenderness for others, and the words are true,Said, honoring, when I’m dead,—Sorrow, to you, the mellow praise, the funeral wreath, are due.
Sorrow, my friend,When shall you come again?The wind is slow, and the bent willows sendTheir silvery motions wearily down the plain.The bird is deadThat sang this morning through the summer rain!
Sorrow, my friend,
When shall you come again?
The wind is slow, and the bent willows send
Their silvery motions wearily down the plain.
The bird is dead
That sang this morning through the summer rain!
Sorrow, my friend,I owe my soul to you.And if my life with any glory endOf tenderness for others, and the words are true,Said, honoring, when I’m dead,—Sorrow, to you, the mellow praise, the funeral wreath, are due.
Sorrow, my friend,
I owe my soul to you.
And if my life with any glory end
Of tenderness for others, and the words are true,
Said, honoring, when I’m dead,—
Sorrow, to you, the mellow praise, the funeral wreath, are due.
And yet, my friend,When love and joy are strong,Your terrible visage from my sight I rendWith glances to blue heaven. Hovering along,By mine your shadow led,“Away!” I shriek, “nor dare to work my new-sprung mercies wrong!”Still, you are near:Who can your care withstand?When deep eternity shall look most clear,Sending bright waves to kiss the trembling land,My joy shall disappear,—A flaming torch thrown to the golden sea by your pale hand.
And yet, my friend,When love and joy are strong,Your terrible visage from my sight I rendWith glances to blue heaven. Hovering along,By mine your shadow led,“Away!” I shriek, “nor dare to work my new-sprung mercies wrong!”Still, you are near:Who can your care withstand?When deep eternity shall look most clear,Sending bright waves to kiss the trembling land,My joy shall disappear,—A flaming torch thrown to the golden sea by your pale hand.
And yet, my friend,When love and joy are strong,Your terrible visage from my sight I rendWith glances to blue heaven. Hovering along,By mine your shadow led,“Away!” I shriek, “nor dare to work my new-sprung mercies wrong!”
And yet, my friend,
When love and joy are strong,
Your terrible visage from my sight I rend
With glances to blue heaven. Hovering along,
By mine your shadow led,
“Away!” I shriek, “nor dare to work my new-sprung mercies wrong!”
Still, you are near:Who can your care withstand?When deep eternity shall look most clear,Sending bright waves to kiss the trembling land,My joy shall disappear,—A flaming torch thrown to the golden sea by your pale hand.
Still, you are near:
Who can your care withstand?
When deep eternity shall look most clear,
Sending bright waves to kiss the trembling land,
My joy shall disappear,—
A flaming torch thrown to the golden sea by your pale hand.