Poems (Angier)/Song of the Disenchanted
SONG OF THE DISENCHANTED.
The dust hath been brushed From the butterfly's wing,The kite of my fancy Hath broken its string;For the soft siren voices That greeted my ear,The raven's hoarse croak And the owl's hoot I hear.
The halo hath faded, The rose-tint is fled;And the leaden-hued sky Appeareth instead;Where summer birds nestled, And tuned their sweet song,The canker-worm feeds Hope's green leaves among.
A shadow is resting On life's pleasant things,The harp of romance Hath parted its strings; In camp and in court, In cottage and hall,The glory and gilding Have faded from all.
Ensconced in the green-room, I've witnessed the play;Seen the drop rise and fall In the broad light of day;Kings, they are sceptreless, Queens without crowns;Grand lords and ladies Are peasants and clowns.
The spell is dissolved, The charm hath been broke;The captive is free, And spurneth the yoke;When idols are clay, And prove themselves dust,How fruitless our worship, How vain is our trust!
This makes me not sad, No; I'm happier far;For always 'tis best To see things as they are. The dictate of wisdom Is ever the same;Each object to call By its own proper name.
In truth's faithful mirror Let error appearIn her hideous form, And her own colors wear;Then Virtue shall triumph, Vice vanish away,And earth will rejoice In millennial day.