Ah! linger yet – a God of love is breathing
New life and passion through the frozen earth,
As once of old a sculptor’s love unwreathing
His marble, woke it into glorious birth;
And dazzling waves of golden light are streaming
From the fire-fountains where the sun has set,
But fond hearts turn from all that gorgeous gleaming,
To seek thy glance of love – then linger yet.
Oh! Leave us not – for Nature’s pulses leaping,
Gush into music, free, and deep, and strong;
As though the life-drops in her bosom sleeping,
Burst in the thunder of a cataract’s song.
But though her mighty heart is wildly bounding
Its beatings fall unheeded, and forgot;
For while that joyous melody is sounding,
We list for thine – beloved one, leave us not.
Ah! linger yet – the orchard’s bloom is glowing
Far o’er the hill-side, like a rosy cloud
Lost from the sunset, gloriously bestowing
Its beauty on the earth – a radiant shroud!
But from its rose-tints, beautifully blushing,
And crimson shadows, by the breezes met,
We turn away, to mark the first, faint flushing
Of health upon thy cheek – then linger yet.
Oh! Leave us not – this life is bright before thee
In dawning glory, and the triune beam
Of Hope and Love, and young Ambition o’er thee
Will wake its music, like the early gleam
Of sunlight on the marble’s cold dominion
Of Memnon’s mystic statue – ’tis thy lot
To chain awhile thy spirit’s eagle pinion
Back from its native city – then leave us not.
Ah! linger yet – though angel arms may woo thee,
And smiles seraphic beckon thee above;
Could that embrace – that smile be sweeter to thee,
Than the warm foldings of a mother’s love?
And when thy gentle sister softly presses
Her velvet cheek to thine. with tear-drops wet,
Say, could an angel’s rapturous caresses
Be fraught with deeper bliss – then linger yet.
Oh! leave us not – a thousand prayers are blending,
And, as they float around the eternal throne,
An echo up the azure sky is wending –
“Oh God! so early claim not thou thine own!
Say not so soon ‘forever be ye parted’
Leave us the lovely, ne’er to be forgot;
The young – the brave – the true – the noblehearted,
Or, when thou callest him to thee – leave us not!
Thou’rt gone, bright spirit – with the summer fading,
Thine earthly form commingles with the clay,
‘Twas meet ere autumn’s gloom thy sky was shading,
In light and glory thou shouldst pass away.
A darkness in the wood-land woven shadows,
Seems brooding o’er the beauty of decay,
And far along the fragrant-scented meadows,
A mystic murmur sighs – “thou couldst not stay!”
Why didst thou leave us? – loveliness still lingers
Where Heaven’s last roses in the twilight bloom,
And visions fresh from fancy’s fairy fingers
Come thronging round us ‘mid its purple gloom.
When music on the breath of eve is stealing,
As Nature lifts her mighty heart on high,
While up to God her vesper hymn is pealing,
And life is worship – wherefore didst thou die?
Thou’rt gone, proud spirit – cold and restless turning
From all life promised in a world below;
To feel no more its “fitful fever” burning,
Its flaming billows turning to and fro.
No more with chains of clay unwreathing round thee,
To struggle onward through its weary day,
The hand of God from bondage has unbound thee –
He gave thee freedom, and “thou couldst not stay.”
Yet why desert us? – though by tempest driven,
Far drifting onward like some thunder-cloud,
Though faint at times, by passion’s lightning riven,
Was not thy spirit in its conquests proud?
And oh! when “might and right” so wildly round thee
Were mingling in the contest fierce and high,
When Victory in the conflict almost crowned thee,
Fame almost blest thee – wherefore didst thou die?
Thou’art gone, sweet spirit – fond affections twining
In votive wreaths around thy heart and brow,
But mock the amaranthine garland shining,
In fadeless lustre o’er their beauty now.
And when with time tint after tint is waning,
And memory’s temple shrines them in decay,
No stranger heart its tender gloom profaning,
Shall steal the token, tho’ “thou could’st not stay.”
Why didst thou leave us? – is thy home in Heaven
As lovely as the valley of thy birth?
And is the love by angel bosoms given
As deep – as fervid as the loves of earth?
Hadst thou no wish, when fading health was fleeting,
To bear us with thee to thy native sky?
Ah! then when youth with hope and joy was meeting,
And life a love-dream – wherefore didst thou die?
(L. Virginia Smith French)
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Based on Topics: Love Poems, God Poems, Life Poems, World Poems, Light Poems, Sadness Poems, Time Poems, Joy & Excitement Poems, Youth Poems, Heaven Poems, Hope PoemsBased on Keywords: foldings, profaning, life-drops, rose-tints, commingles, wood-land, love-dream