Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, DAYS, by ELIZA KEARY


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

DAYS, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: O summer day of light and shade
Last Line: Ha! My joy.


O SUMMER day of light and shade,
Of peace and glory blended,
Full in the robes of God arrayed,
But just begun when ended.

O sudden gleam! O gentle breath!
Upon our snows of sorrow,
Vanishing like a smile of death
Before our blank to-morrow.



August 27th.

Ah! petulant, sweet showers,
That make flowers;
Sad autumn rain,
Ah! drops of pain;
Can the tears of the Spring and the Autumn meet?
Can youth and age --
Bountiful promise and spare wage?
Or, love and this --
Or, O the dear, dear, "I wonder" and "I wis."

July 6th.

Day, day,
When cloud and sky melt into azure and grey.
O soft sigh! O sad joy! Lo!
'Tis the heart has welled up,
Has swelled over life's cup,
And lies
Tremulously tender upon the wide skies,
The earth -- a live word,
Brooding dove-like with overspread wings,
With cooings unheard.

June 24th.

Come to my heart, day of Midsummer,
Sunshine, heat,
Light white of the lilies;
Yea, yea, and yea, in each beat,
From the depth to the brim.
Undrawn
Form curtain, flesh curtain, colour, light even,
Everything bodily, down to the soul,
That shining through, that bare
Pressing out to the soul of each, bare.

February 14th.

I wandered into Wind-home,
And saw the winds asleep;
I walked about in Rain-home,
And heard the showers weep;
I lost my way in Thought-home,
And thence a slumber deep
Carried me into Dream-home,
Where me the dreams did keep
Captive in a Castled home,
Reared on the summit steep
Of rosy clouds in Wish-home;
Within whose halls the sweep
Of thy white robes, my Heart's-home,
Made all my pulses leap.

December 31st.

Bells of the New Year; bells
Ringing, ringing about
Hope. Are you ringing hope
In, bells of this new year?
Yes, you're ringing in, clear,
Brave, happy-voiced bells; hope
For this new year without
Fear. The sweet clamour swells
All round into my heart:
There isn't a corner in
My heart that can hold thee,
Hope; so, go out again;
Go, although I would fain
Gather thee close to me.
No; with the foolish din
Of the sweet bells depart.

February 29th.

Timidly
Reaches her hands
Out, up from the wide far lands,
Touches the cup of the sun, sips
From his life with weak lips,
Staggering, stands.
Ripples through the new blood
Childhood, frolickhood;
Making play flowers, hastily,
Small pale flowers.
Courses fleetly
The heat of the blood,
Intoxicate sweetly
Of God's food;
Answering meetly
In surfeit of good.
Rolick, and revel, and treasure,
Flung about without measure;
Riot and rout sweltering out,
Mad with pleasure --
Swoons lethargic, unheeding
The heart's life bleeding
Away, to the chill and the grave;
Frozen breath on the death wave --
This is the year's history,
And life's mystery.

November 12th.

The hours slip by me, and the months and years,
And a grey past companions me and grows,
A powerless presence; for the swift
And noiseless treading of her feet has never
Quickened my breath, nor made me turn and look
Into her passionless eyes. I know there are
No memories in them, neither loss, nor gain.
Pass by me, quiet hours and cold days;
Leave to my past those eyes, that subtle tread,
That we weep not when full companioned.

Evening.

Linger, soft light,
Beloved evening, stay.
Sweet death of a most blissful day,
Birth of a blessed night.
Linger on sky and hill,
Lie still,
Soft evening rays, until
My eyes have drunk each glorious hue
Of roseate gold and blue.
What happy memories rise,
Kind evening, in thy dewy eyes.
O day of days, thy perfect hours lying,
Like folded roses upon evening's breast,
Are gathered to their rest,
And find no pain in dying.

June 11th.

My joy. Ah! my joy,
Born of heaven, and this heart that have kist;
Rise, child of the morn,
Spread your wings,
Beat the skies;
Soar and wake all the dull dead worlds with a cry
Of ecstasy trilled,
Thrilling, strong,
Pure, sweet, and long drawn, and intense;
Child, child,
Dropping thence,
Dropping down,
Home to rest;
Over the storm-breast, brood and sway --
Nay, but live-willed,
Break away;
Bound, break up to heaven, my joy,
Ha! my joy.






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