Poems (Chitwood)/Good Bye

by Mary Louisa Chitwood

"GOOD BYE." 

"But give to me when loved ones part,
The gentle word, good bye."

The word farewell burst from thy lips,
 Checked by the rising sigh;
My heart was then too full for words,
 And I could not make reply;
For I pondered o'er in our parting hour,
 The weary days of pain,
Of change and sorrow, perchance of death,
 Ere we should meet again.

And I heard thee speak, "farewell, farewell,"
 That voice e'en now is nigh;
My heart kept whispering all the while,
 "Good bye, beloved, good bye."

Farewell, how dirge-like was the tone,
 How mighty in its power;
It fell upon my heart as falls
 The frost upon the flower.
Oh, oft I think of our parting, now,
 When none but my God is nigh,
I hear thee sigh, "farewell, farewell,"
 While I falter out "good bye."

Good bye—yes, in that little word
 There seems a magic spell,
That whispers, "Ye shall meet again,
 This is no last farewell;"
And the words I ponder o'er again
 Till echo makes reply,
"The time shall come when ye shall meet,
 No more to say good bye."

And oft in the silence of the night,
 Thy gentle presence beams
Like a star in heaven, and thou art near,
 In the "glorious land of dreams;"
I listen then to thy sad farewell,
 And falter out reply,
"Oh we shall meet again, my love,
 This is no last "good bye."