Poems (Gifford)/To a Friend leaving for Australia
TO A FRIEND LEAVING FOR AUSTRALIA.
Swiftly the days pass by, Our parting hour draws nigh,And soon thy untried course must lie across the trackless sea; May streams of blessing flow Wherever thou may'st go,All peaceful, glad, and beautiful may thy new pathway be!
Thou wilt pass from our sight, And to a clime more brightWilt go among a stranger-band to find thy future home; And many a stranger-face Will cheer that stranger-place,As stranger-stars look down on thee from out their azure dome.
But the same sun shall shine Upon our home and thine,And distance cannot sever from the Sun of Righteousness; One Friend shall watch o'er thee, Beyond the barrier-sea,And still remain for aye with us to brighten and to bless.
And this great joy shall prove A ceaseless bond of love,—Shall we not pledge each other still to the dear name of friend? We shall not sundered be, Unfettered, swift, and free,Our wingéd thoughts shall meet, and oft in sweet communion blend.
And e'en if nevermore Thou seek thy native shore,Doth not our heavenly Friend for us one glorious home prepare And oh, the wondrous joy, So free from all alloy,Oh, the glad fellowship of love that waits His loved ones there!
Thus, though we for awhile, Must miss thy sunny smile,Though what may be thy destined lot we cannot, cannot tell; And though we add a sigh Unto our last good-bye,Yet lovingly and hopefully we say to thee—"Farewell!"