Classic and Contemporary Poetry
OLD LETTERS, by CORA RANDALL FABBRI First Line: Turn the light low, let the moonbeams stray Last Line: With this faded ribbon blue. Subject(s): Letters | ||||||||
TURN the light low, let the moonbeams stray Through the window open wide, And now leave me quite alone, With these letters by my side, In the gloaming gray and dim, With the birds' sweet good-night hymn Floating from the distance in. All alone and yet not lonely, For what throngs of mem'ries come When I lift these letters worn, Old and yellow, one by one. Loose tied with a ribbon blue Of a tender, faded hue; Signed alone: "Your sweetheart true." In among the pages thin, Heart's-ease that of old she wore; They cannot cure my heartache now, As they used to once before; As they used to long ago, In those sweet old times, ah, no! For they tell me but of woe. In among these records fair A sweet pictured face I see; That face graven on my heart, As it evermore will be. Dainty head of golden hair, Large blue eyes so sweet and fair, Blue as hearts of violets rare. Just the same that long ago With that laughing, 'witching face, Stole my heart, and left me glad For a bright, brief summer space. Oh, those happy, joyous hours Passed among the dewy flowers In the sunlit, scented bowers! Then my cup of joy seemed full, And it grew more so each day; Till at last it overflowed, Ran in sparkling drops away; Left me sad and quite forlorn, With a love that I must mourn, With a bliss all past and gone. A ring sent backa lock of hair, A letter, toothat we must part, A few short words so coldly writ, But ah, that letter broke my heart. She knew I'd "see 'twere for the best," "We could be friends" (what words of jest!) "Esteem," andbut you know the rest. I cried to God, then, in my pain, I could not live with this great loss; But He taught me how instead I must live and bear my cross. So sped on year after year, Life went all blank and drear, Till the past seemed one dream fair. Though her heart was faithless, I Ne'er have loved her less, ah, no! Some souls drink their cup of bliss In one draughtwith me 'twas so. In that happy summer-time, In those days all gold sunshine, I had drunk and finished mine. Now all is a dream long past; Only as a memory here Those few letters yellow lie, Older, dimmer year by year. And my heartache, as I lean O'er these records, grows more keen Thinking of what might have been. God forgive me, He knows best; 'Tis His hand that sends all pain. I have lived my sweet past o'er, Sweet and bitter, once again. Back I lay these letters few, But I tie my heart up, too, With this faded ribbon blue. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...LOVE LETTER FROM AN IMPOSSIBLE LAND by WILLIAM MEREDITH ALL SHE WROTE by HARRYETTE MULLEN LETTER TO MAXINE SULLIVAN by HAYDEN CARRUTH THE AFTERLIFE: LETTER TO SAM HAMILL: 1 by HAYDEN CARRUTH THE AFTERLIFE: LETTER TO STEPHEN DOBYNS: 1 by HAYDEN CARRUTH THE AFTERLIFE: LETTER TO STEPHEN DOBYNS: 2 by HAYDEN CARRUTH LETTER TO MOTHER by JOHN CIARDI A PORTRAIT by CORA RANDALL FABBRI |
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