Poems (Henderson)/Departure

by Elizabeth Henderson

DEPARTURE.

Did a ray of thy light, Oh! sun,
 From its focus break and flee,
And float through the dim forever,
 To be lost in eternity?
Did a tint of thy blue, Oh! heaven,
 Go forth from its glorious sky,
To shine in the path of the angels,
 Or mix with the rainbow's dye.

For in vain have I opened the windows.
 And the lattice of measureless thought,
And my soul hath traversed all her ways,
 And found not the daylight she sought.
For he, Oh! my love, my love,
 Like the wind she roveth afar,
And with him the glory has fled,
 From sunshine and from star.

The downy fleece of the north,
 Lieth white over stile and lane,
And with glittering gems of winter,
 The branches are all aflame.
But the song of the bird is hushed,
 And the heart's sweet music is dumb,
And the shadowy halls of delight,
 With cypress and willow are hung.

But the breath of the spring will melt,
 The garlands of ice, and the snow,
And the woodbird will sing in the tree,
 And the snowdrops in beauty will blow.
And thou, Oh! my darling will wait,
 Thy light feet brushing the dew,
Oh! love, at our trysting place,
 When the roses are budding anew.