First Entry – 1832.
WITH eager hand I ope’ the book,
And on a smooth, white series look,
Of shrines for thoughts of coming years,
Enwreathed in flowers, unsoiled by tears;
I turn the gilded margins o’er,
Shining types of future store;
Boldly now inscribe the page,
Prologue to life’s opening stage;
May good spirits here convene,
To glorify each passing scene;
Health and energy supply
Fountains of Festivity;
Sweet affection touch the string,
Peaceful joys of home to sing;
Verse with melody combine
To lend a charm to every line;
Art with liberal hand display
Something glorious every day;
Love and sympathy unite
To scatter stars on darkest night;
So may all life’s story be
A Diary of Joy to me.
Last Entry.
“Father,” turn the closing page,
Seal the Diary of age;
All the memories of years,
Steep’d in penitential tears,
With the shame that dares not look
Back upon the blotted book,
Of its early tinsel shorn,
Creased and crumpled, worn and torn,
Take the knife and thence erase
Erring lines of thoughtless days;
Cut from out the record all
That conscience trembles to recall;
Take the self-accusing sheet
Lying humbly at Thy feet;
And across it clearly trace
The Signet-manual of Thy Grace;
Take the pen that vainly strove
To raise some tribute to Thy Love;
The voice unequal to express
The music of its thankfulness;
The eye that longs Thy Face to see,
The trusting heart upraised to Thee!
(Emily Mary Barton)
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Based on Topics: Love Poems, Night Poems, Joy & Excitement Poems, Flowers Poems, Home Poems, Art Poems, Fathers Poems, Books Poems, Age Poems, Music Poems, Memory PoemsBased on Keywords: upraised, inscribe, enwreathed, convene, margins, penitential, unsoiled, creased, diary, festivity, self-accusing