Poems (Blagden)/The angels of life
THE ANGELS OF LIFE.
I.
Prostrate beside the rock-bound shores of time,
Alone, storm-tossed and harbourless, I wept—
I wept o'er all the buried wrecks sublime
Which in its flood irrevocably slept.
Alone, storm-tossed and harbourless, I wept—
I wept o'er all the buried wrecks sublime
Which in its flood irrevocably slept.
II.
I heard the footsteps of the bygone years,
As slow they passed with chill, relentless eyes,
And with a shuddering awe, amid my tears,
The gift each bore away could recognise.
As slow they passed with chill, relentless eyes,
And with a shuddering awe, amid my tears,
The gift each bore away could recognise.
III.
Said one—"I bore thy bloom of health away,
I kissed its rose with breath all icy cold;
Child of the sun! without its fostering ray,
Thy being could not ripen nor unfold.
I kissed its rose with breath all icy cold;
Child of the sun! without its fostering ray,
Thy being could not ripen nor unfold.
IV.
"'Stead of the buoyant gush of southern fire,
Which should have burnt within thy veins like flame,
Trembling and dim and yearning to expire,
Life's waning, flickering pulses went and came."
Which should have burnt within thy veins like flame,
Trembling and dim and yearning to expire,
Life's waning, flickering pulses went and came."
V.
"I," said a voice more stern and cruel yet,—
"I brought to thee a cup, where lustrous shone
The pearl of love, but, ere thy lip was wet,
I smote thee back, and dashed the goblet down."
"I brought to thee a cup, where lustrous shone
The pearl of love, but, ere thy lip was wet,
I smote thee back, and dashed the goblet down."
VI.
"And know'st thou me?" one mocking Phantom said;
"Perished with me thy fair aspiring dreams;
The curse of failure by my influence shed
Baffled in mid career thy ardent schemes."
"Perished with me thy fair aspiring dreams;
The curse of failure by my influence shed
Baffled in mid career thy ardent schemes."
VII.
Health, love, ambition lost, I could but find
A crushed, and broken life's successless years,
A solitude of heart, a waste of mind,
And bitter end of all these bitter tears!
A crushed, and broken life's successless years,
A solitude of heart, a waste of mind,
And bitter end of all these bitter tears!
VIII.
"I want my Happiness," I madly cried,
"Some poor brief joy to gild Fate's ruthless course;
O'er some it flows a lavish bounteous tide:
O God! but one—one drop from Thy rich source!"
"Some poor brief joy to gild Fate's ruthless course;
O'er some it flows a lavish bounteous tide:
O God! but one—one drop from Thy rich source!"
IX.
And, as yet hopelessly I wept, a light
Broke on the dun horizon's lowest verge,
And o'er its gleaming path fair spirits bright
Trod with soft noiseless feet the heaving surge.
Broke on the dun horizon's lowest verge,
And o'er its gleaming path fair spirits bright
Trod with soft noiseless feet the heaving surge.
X.
"We are thy future," said the gracious band—
"Life's promised heritage, the best, the last!"
As each advancing footstep touched the strand,
Faded the mournful spectres of the past.
"Life's promised heritage, the best, the last!"
As each advancing footstep touched the strand,
Faded the mournful spectres of the past.
XI.
One kissed my lips with kisses warm and pure—
A sweetness without smiles was on her brow;
Each kiss aroused me, I could now endure,
Accept my grief, and thus resist its blow.
A sweetness without smiles was on her brow;
Each kiss aroused me, I could now endure,
Accept my grief, and thus resist its blow.
XII.
"I bring thee Patience," said the gentle voice,
"Thou calledst me Hope when life was in its bloom;
But Hope matured is Patience. Ah, rejoice!
'Tis thus, where hope despairs, I can o'ercome."'
"Thou calledst me Hope when life was in its bloom;
But Hope matured is Patience. Ah, rejoice!
'Tis thus, where hope despairs, I can o'ercome."'
XII.
Then with linked hands two seraph forms serene
Approached; harmoniously their voices flowed;
"And we," they said, with hushed and solemn mien,
"We bring thee Love to man and Faith in God!
Approached; harmoniously their voices flowed;
"And we," they said, with hushed and solemn mien,
"We bring thee Love to man and Faith in God!
XIV.
"Instead of earthly passion's fiery glow,
Its transient ecstasy, its wild unrest,
Between our torches calm thy life shall flow,"
And breathed a blessing on my throbbing breast.
Its transient ecstasy, its wild unrest,
Between our torches calm thy life shall flow,"
And breathed a blessing on my throbbing breast.
XV.
Dried were my tears, when lo! the fairest, last
Filled with her grand maternal form, the space,
But darkened by the shade of pinions vast,
I saw not yet the glory of her face.
Filled with her grand maternal form, the space,
But darkened by the shade of pinions vast,
I saw not yet the glory of her face.
XVI.
But as the glittering fleece of spray divides
The white wings of the waterfall, and shows
The luminous arch o’er which its beauty glides,
Slow she unveiled, and beautiful arose.
The white wings of the waterfall, and shows
The luminous arch o’er which its beauty glides,
Slow she unveiled, and beautiful arose.
XVII.
"Mortal! the dream of life I solve for thee,"
She spoke, it was a voice without a breath,—
"I am the pilot of Eternity—
Thou seekest Happiness, I bring thee Death!"
She spoke, it was a voice without a breath,—
"I am the pilot of Eternity—
Thou seekest Happiness, I bring thee Death!"