Through the deep shadows of the darkening years, She strove with griefs, which oft were agonies, - The traitorous Hopes transformed to haunting Fears, The transient Raptures ending but in sighs: Till at the last, the life-clouds cleared away, The future bathed in promise heavenly bright, She heard a tender voice which seemed to say, At evening time, behold! I give thee light! For love, true love, her woman's nature yearned, - And now true Love hath crowned her longing wild, And all without, and all within her burned The glory of his Godhead undefiled. A new world dawned upon her; divine forms Gleamed in the sunset on her earnest eyes, And throned above the years which set in storms, She saw the opening gates of Paradise; An earthly Eden, freed from earth's alloy; Across the happy porch her footsteps passed, When on the very threshold of her joy, Death's sudden angel blew his trumpet blast: The gates of light, as that fierce trumpet rang, Dissolved, like some vain phantom of the air, And born of desolation deep, outsprang A passionate cry - the last - of her despair: Love! we have been so happy! Must we part? Even as she spoke the final darkness came, To many sorrowing, and one broken heart, Leaving thenceforth but memory, and - a name! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...A LOVE LETTER by PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR WHAT OF THE DARKNESS?; TO THE HAPPY DEAD PEOPLE by RICHARD THOMAS LE GALLIENNE SPOON RIVER ANTHOLOGY: HARRY WILMANS by EDGAR LEE MASTERS THE ACHARNIANS: A PLEA FOR THE ENEMY by ARISTOPHANES FIDELIA ARGUING WITH HER SELF ON THE DIFFICULTY FINDING TRUE RELIGION by JANE BARKER |