Poems (Emma M. Ballard Bell)/The Voyage of Life
For works with similar titles, see The Voyage of Life.
THE VOYAGE OF LIFE.
Oh, solemn is the ceaseless, silent flowOf that mysterious deep,—the sea of Time.Unfathomed are its depths; while all aroundEternity's far shores in grandeur rise.And now, where gently roll the placid waves'Neath morning's twilight, tremulous and pale,A little bark lies idle on the shore.Now in the holy stillness of the mornWe hear the rustling of seraphic wings:More tremulous the twilight shadows seem,And tremulous beneath the waters flow.Beams of soft light now the shore illume;Gleameth the bark like a beauteous pearl;By it the angel of life doth stand,White wings enfolding a fragile form.Gazes he now on the little bark,Then o'er the waters so vast and wide.Sadness a moment is o'er his soul.Soon o'er his visage, so calm and bright,Smiles of ineffable sweetness beam.White wings how tenderly now unfold, And in the bark is the frail form placed.Soon, with the light of the early dawnStreaming around his celestial form,Angel guide enters the little bark,Taking the oar in his gentle hand.Silently, slowly, beyond the shore,Out on the fathomless ocean Time,Angel and child by the bark are borne.Cloudless the heavens that o'er them bend;O'er the calm waters that round them glideSunbeams like jewels are glist'ning now.Onward, still onward, the bark doth glide;Shores in the distance are lost to view;Higher the waters around it roll;Brighter the heavens above it bend.Lo! on the heavens, in lines of light,Imagery wondrously fair is traced:Fountains, and shadowy bow'rs, and groves,Palaces, temples, and lofty domes. Now in the bark, with its angel guide,Childhood's frail form we behold no more:Youth do we see, with his beaming eyeFixed on the imagery traced afar.Glows all his spirit with new-born fires;Quickly he turns to his angel guide:"Tell me, O angel! if thou dost know,What are those forms that are traced on high." Answers the angel, in low, deep tones,"'Tis the mirage that reflecteth thereForms in the islands of Hope beyond.Soon thou, O Youth! shalt behold those islesBathed in the sunlight's eternal glow,Beautiful realm of a goddess bright."Noble and high is the soul of Youth;Proud is the light in his flashing eye;Thus does he speak to his angel guide:"Why, gentle angel, so long thy stay?Strong is my spirit, nor asks thine aid;O'er these bright waves let me guide my bark."Now, with admiring yet tearful gazeFixed on the youth, doth the angel speak:"Mariner out on the sea of Time,Bound for Eternity's distant shores,Take thou this oar, for I wing my flightFar to my home in the starry spheres."Now from the heavens a golden cloudOver the bark like a light descends;Lo! then the angel, with wings outspread,Floats on that cloud to the realms above.
Soon then the youth, with his eager gazeFixed on those forms the mirage hath traced,Plunging his oar in the dashing tide,Hurries his bark to the isles of Hope. Now he has come to those sunny isles;By him a radiant being stands;Heavenly light in her beaming eyeTelleth at once her celestial birth;And in melodious tones she saith,"Welcome, O Youth! to the isles of Hope.Moor here thy bark for a little while;Wander with me o'er this lovely realm.First, then, O Youth! let me guide thy wayWhere in her temple Religion waits,Pearl without price unto thee to give:Mayest thou, Youth, this fair pearl receive.Keep it forever, if thou wouldst reachCity of Light on the mount of God.Only to those who shall bring this pearlAngels will open its golden gates.Seest thou that temple with lofty dome?Wisdom and Truth there thy coming wait,Counsels to give thee to guide thy way."Led by the goddess of Hope, the youthBows at Religion's most holy shrine,And from her hand he receives the pearl;And in the temple with lofty domeCounsels from Wisdom and Truth receives,Wanders by fountains of pure delight,Wanders through shadowy groves and bowers.Then he unmoors his frail bark once more, Launching again on the sea of Time.By him the goddess of Hope doth stand;And in her hand is an anchor clasped.Speaks she again in melodious tones,"Take thou this anchor, and it, O Youth!If when afar from these happy islesStorms and fierce tempests should round thee rage,Token of safety shall be to thee.Oh! but if thou by the isles of FearLosest this anchor, then woe to thee!Near these there lie, and with wrecks o'erstrewn,Rock-bound and dismal, the isles Despair.And if from Heaven there come no aid,Swiftly then on to those dismal islesShall thy bark sweep on that foaming surge,Till on those rocks it shall lie,—a wreck."Now in the bark is the anchor placed;Onward it sweeps o'er the dashing waves.
Now far away from those happy islesSee we the bark by the tempests driv'n;See we where Youth was its guide before,Manhood, with firm and with high resolve.Earnest his eye on the anchor rests,Dark grow the heavens; and blackened clouds,Bound by the lightnings with fiery chains,Frowningly gaze on the deep below, Rousing to anger the surging waves;Then, like a watery wall, the waves,Gathering now round the storm-worn bark,Break; and the lightning's red blaze reveals,Dark'ning and gloomy, the isles of Fear.Gazes the mariner on its shores;Darker and deeper the shadows grow.Over the bark do the billows ride;And from its place is the anchor swept,Plunged in the watery depths below.Now, on the fierce and stormy blast,Shrieks from the mariner wildly float;Feels he, as swiftly the currents roll,On to the isles of Despair he drifts.Turns he, imploring, his eye to Heav'n.Part the black clouds that above him bend;Light from the heavens in glory beams.By him there hovers an angel form,Guardian now, and his guide before.Thus to the mariner now he speaks:"Still do not fear, though thy hope be lost;Message I bring from the realms of Faith:Soon from those realms shall the breezes blow,Wafting thee far from these dismal isles."Spoke thus the angel, then winged his flight.Quickly the winds and the waves are stilled, Pure breezes blow from the realms of Faith,Wafting the bark on its peaceful way.
Oh, solemn is the ceaseless, silent flowOf this mysterious deep,—the sea of Time.'Tis twilight now upon its peaceful waves;Yet all the shadows are with glory tinged;For earthly twilight blends with heav'nly day.And now, behold! within the beaten bark,Old Age, with furrowed brow and silv'ry hair.Upon Eternity's now bright'ning shoresThe guardian angel doth his coming wait.The boat is moored upon the heav'nly strand;And once again the guardian angel speaks:"O mortal, hast thou brought the priceless pearlThat in the isles of Hope to thee was giv'n?If so, immortal, then, oh! follow me,And I will guide thee to the mount of God,Will bring thee to the New Jerusalem;There be the priceless pearl that thou hast broughtThe brightest gem in thy eternal crown."
There comes a sound like rush of seraph wings.Their songs of welcome chant the seraph choirs.The twilight wanes. Time's shadows all are lostWithin the light of heav'n's eternal day.