Poems (Blake)/To one in Absence

by Mary Elizabeth Blake

TO ONE IN ABSENCE.

When twilight deepens in the darkling skies,
 And fair along the azure fields of heaven
 The bending stars shine out, like blossoms given
To gem the garden paths of paradise;

When the sweet silence of the summer night
 Lifts our tired thought to regions of the blest,
 To dreams of God and love and quiet rest,
To glimpses full of peace and pure delight,—

Then with all dearest fancies fair and fond,
 My heart uplifts thee, O thou more than friend!
 Near or remote, thy presence comes to blend
My best of earth with all my best beyond!

When dawn uplifts the curtains of the East,
 And glancing out, the shining eyes of Morn
Look down with rapture on a world new- born,
 Fair as a bride who seeks her marriage feast;

 When the full chimes of life ring out anew;
And fresh with strength untried, and strong with prayers,
We lift the burden of our daily cares,
 And smile to find the number grown so few,—

 Then, with all dearest duties that have birth
In quiet lives that know not blame nor praise,
Thy memory lives throughout my tranquil days,
 And brings heaven nearer to the paths of earth!