TO thee, bright Orb, my humid eyes I raise;
To thee I sigh, reflecting as I gaze,
How dark earth’s transitory scenes appear,
Till contemplation brings the silent tear.
Though all lies hush’d around, thy silv’ry light
Would tempt to spurn the slumbers of the night;
While on my soul an awful stillness gleams,
Inspir’d, fair Moon, by thy majestic beams:
By thee, mild Cynthia! who with pitying eye
Dost oft behold the love-lorn Ellen sigh,
Poor hapless maid! no more can hope bestow
One distant ray, to bid her bosom glow:
From her, alas! has fate relentless torn
The youth she lov’d in life’s fresh blooming morn;
He who was wont at this still hour to rove,
And vow by thy sweet beams eternal love!
Thee, lovely Orb, did pensive Ellen seek,
When memory’s tear stole down her beauteous cheek;
Nor did the dewy gem unheeded stray,
But shone with brightness in thy blushing ray.
Resplendent as a star in yonder sphere,
By thy reflection, seem’d the pearly tear,
When Ellen thro’ the gloom thy lustre saw,
And mus’d awhile, inspir’d with silent awe.
Till soft affection forc’d a tender sigh,
From her torn bosom, to thy throne on high;
Then lowly bending ‘neath thy silv’ry shade,
The sorrowing maiden thus with fervor pray’d:
“If thee I seek, when memory sad pourtrays
“The happy scenes of pleasure’s gilded days,
“Let me some solace in thy splendor find,
“And bring composure to my wounded mind.
“Oh! heed, fair Goddess, this my hapless pray’r,
“Deign in soft pity to relieve my care;
“Let resignation bend to fate’s decree,
“And check remembrance while I gaze on thee.”
Bright Orb, thy lustre, from yon azure sphere,
Will guide the trav’ller, and his wand’rings cheer;
To thee, celestial! with calm hope he sighs,
As home’s sweet raptures in his bosom rise.
And oft the mariner will pensive stand,
In thought still veering towards his native land,
To watch thee as thou dost on ocean play,
And gild its surface with thy sportive ray.
Yes! he will meditate, till memory sleep,
On thy bright radiance in the silent deep,
While his full heart these soft suggestions raise,
“His eyes now linger, where his Anna’s gaze.”
In this still hour, the sympathizing sigh
Is breath’d to thee, fair Moon! with moisten’d eye,
While faithful memory every scene renews
Of those far distant, while on thee we muse.
Thy cheerful beams suspend the pangs of grief,
To weary nature minist’ring relief;
The dazzling beauty of thy lucid ray,
To some more pleasing than the noon-tide day.
When chilling sickness, with an awful gloom,
Preys on the heart fast verging to the tomb,
Thy glitt’ring presence can its pains beguile,
And bid affliction thro’ her sorrows smile.
Sleep seals the lids of happiness to rest,
And oft, alas, he flies the anguish’d breast;
Yet thou, blest light! canst soothe where sorrows press,
And sleep disdains the silent couch to bless.
But on! sweet Empress of th’ etherial clime,
Launch’d forth to captivate the eye sublime,
From cloud to cloud with darting glory flame,
And speak the praise of thy Creator’s name!
(Emma Lyon)
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Based on Topics: Love Poems, God Poems, Life Poems, Night Poems, Light Poems, Mind Poems, Sadness Poems, Youth Poems, Fairness Poems, Name Poems, Thought & Thinking PoemsBased on Keywords: ller, captivate, etherial, composure, sympathizing, preys, verging, pourtrays, minist