Poems (Douglas)/The Stream of Life
For works with similar titles, see The Stream of Life.
The Stream of Life.
Life's infant stream, how calm and fair, And beautiful it lies,It's silv'ry surf reflecting clear Young morning's cloudless skies!How smooth our little barque glides on Upon the sunny stream—How everything we gaze upon Looks bright as poet's dream.
Unruffled by one breeze of care The waters onward glide,Unbittered by one woe-fraught tear Flows on the lucid tideOr if a tear should chance to fall In childish sorrowing,'Tis lighter than the dewy pearl Shook from the skylark's wing.
And oh! what sweet and gladsome bowers The sunny banks adorn—We reach and pluck the fadeless flowers That bloom without a thorn; With bounding heart we rapturous drink From young joy's guileless spring,Nor ever in that bright hour think What sorrows yet shall ring
The heart round which dance dreamy things, Bright as the golden beamThe orb of day effulgent flings Upon the silver stream.On, onward by the current borne, We reach the stream of youth;We fancy, as in life's young morn, All innocence and truth:
We see the flowers we loved so much, And try to catch the joy;We, passing, grasp—but at our touch The transient glories die.Now fancy's rainbow tints pourtray Our path, along the waveAll sunshine, and the colours gay, Hide far the distant grave.
The stream is deeper, wider now, And fitful gales arise;Deep whirlpools grumble far below, And darker seem the skies.We're launch'd on manhood's watery Waste—- We drink of manhood's cup—'Tis gall and acid to the taste— Ah! where's the honied drop?
Hope, like a phantom, but allures Our path from wave to wave,With joys that never can be ours On this side of the grave.As little wanton school-boys try Their shadow to outrun,So we pursue the fleeting joy, And end as we began.
Then back, through disappointment's tears, On by-past scenes we gaze;There, in the vale of other years, The stream of early days,Bright as the azure vault above, In hallow'd glory lies:Oh! all is happiness and love 'Neath young life's sunny skies.