Poems (Greenwood)/Spirit longings
SPIRIT LONGINGS.
I look upon life's glorious things, The deathless themes of song, The grand, the proud, the beautiful, The wild, the free, the strong,And wish that I might take a part Of what to them belong.
Behold, the fearless Ship goes forth, Where ocean billows sweep; Proud as a steed, swift as a bird, She dashes through the deep! Her drapery of snowy sail Around her stately form,—Majestic Juno in the calm, Bellona in the storm!
Thus may I, on the sea of life, Launch forth all strong and brave, Wait through the lonely, tedious calm, And breast the stormy wave.
Bold Eagle, gazer on the sun, Child of the upper air! In low, unworthy strifes and sports He deigneth not to share: Behold him in a mountain land, When storm-clouds roll on high, Upon the gathering tempest look, With calm, uncowering eye! Loud thunders peal and crash around; He knoweth no affright,But spreads his wing upon the blast, And speeds his upward flight! Red lightnings blaze along his path, And play around his form; He joys, he glories, he exults, In striving with the storm!
Thus may my nature bear through life, Whatever may betide, A scorn of all things low and mean, A stern and lofty pride; Thus may a dauntless, daring strength Be given unto my soul; Thus, thus through tempests may it sweep On, upward to its goal!
The bright, the beautiful, the glad, The swift and silvery River! Dim woods, dark rocks, along it frown, But it laugheth on for ever!
Thus may my heart, a joyous thing, Go laughing o'er the earth, And nothing sadden, nothing awe, Its careless, childlike mirth.
The blue, the broad, the deep, the strong, The wild, unfettered Sea! Methinks he might have taught the world That God had made it free. He lies at rest; upon his breast The stars are mirrored bright; He sees move through the courts of heaven The lovely queen of night, And his strong pulses bound to meet Her sweet smile's placid light! Though worlds, though all created things Should threaten and command, He lies at rest. But see, the winds Are loosed from God's right hand,And the sea-bird screameth with affright, And the seaman steers to land!
Thus may this soul of mine be free, Thus mirror things above; Thus may its soft tides ever swell, Beneath the smile of love; Thus may the will of God alone Move its unfathomed deep,And wake its rushing, flashing thoughts From their inglorious sleep.
A gentle Star, lit up in heaven, And meekly beaming there,Its quiet light comes trembling down The sweet and silent air; Within the mist, behind the cloud, Its living rays still shine,Like sacred fires 'mid incense-wreaths That circle round the shrine.
Thus may my life shine forth a star, On all who walk in night, Unquenched by mists, undimmed by clouds, Till lost in morn's full light.
O spirit, be no more content To dream, aspire, and long! Grasp thou the grand, the beautiful, The proud, the free, the strong! O rouse! no more for far-off good, With folded hands, I pine; I seek, I yet will find, the springs To quench this thirst divine! And these, all these I covet now, God helping, shall be mine!