Poems (Hoffman)/The Demon of Despair and the Angel of Hope

by Martha Lavinia Hoffman

THE DEMON OF DESPAIR AND THE
ANGEL OF HOPE.

Evil Enchantress spread thy raven wings,
      Thy demon wings;
Touch not my spirit with thy venomed stings,
      Thy viper stings;
Far in the night the bird of sorrow sings,
      So sadly sings.

I turn to gaze on Hope as on a star,
      A distant star;
And feel thy touch my inner vision mar,
      So sadly mar;
That o'er her beauty burns an awful scar,
      A deep, dark, scar.

Evil Enchantress, thy despised caress,
      Thy fell caress;
My soul hath shunned for only Hope could bless,
      With gladness bless;
Shall I, thy dread, unearthly power confess,
      At last confess?

No; by the heavens above me, no,
      I answer "No."
Go from my spirit, dark destroyer, go,
      With trembling go;
Let not my soul thy baleful presence know,
      Thy blighting know.

Arise, bright angel, Hope, once more arise,
      In joy arise;
Cast off the heavy cloud of thy disguise,
      Thy dark disguise;
Illumine the far future's farthest skies,
      The glorious skies.

Pierce with thy beams my darkly troubled breast,
      My aching breast;
Hasten to flight its dark-winged demon-guest,
      Its transient guest;
And calm with hallowed breath its wild unrest,
      Its deep unrest.

Pass o'er the portals of my soul to-night,
      So dark to-night;
Put the red demon of Despair to flight,
      To endless flight;
Abide therein, exalted, pure and bright,
      Undimmed and bright.