Poems (Procter)/A Little Longer
A LITTLE LONGER.
LITTLE longer yet—a little longer,Shall violets bloom for thee, and sweet birds sing;And the lime-branches, where soft winds are blowing,Shall murmur the sweet promise of the Spring!A little longer yet—a little longer,Thou shalt behold the quiet of the morn; While tender grasses and awakening flowersSend up a golden mist to greet the dawn!
A little longer yet—a little longer,The tenderness of twilight shall be thine,The rosy clouds that float o'er dying daylight,Nor fade till trembling stars begin to shine.
A little longer yet—a little longer,Shall starry night be beautiful for thee;And the cold moon shall look through the blue silence,Flooding her silver path upon the sea.
A little longer yet—a little longer,Life shall be thine; life with its power to will;Life with its strength to bear, to love, to conquer,Bringing its thousand joys thy heart to fill.
A little longer yet—a little longer,The voices thou hast loved shall charm thine ear;And thy true heart, that now beats quick to heat them,A little longer yet shall hold them dear.
A little longer yet—joy while thou mayest;Love and rejoice! for time has naught in store:And soon the darkness of the grave shall bid theeLove and rejoice and feel and know no more.
A little longer still—Patience, Belovèd:A little longer still, ere Heaven unroll The Glory, and the Brightness, and the Wonder,Eternal, and divine, that waits thy Soul!
A little longer ere Life true, immortal,(Not this our shadowy Life,) will be thine ownAnd thou shalt stand where winged Archangels worship,And trembling bow before the Great White Throne.
A little longer still, and Heaven awaits thee,And fills thy spirit with a great delight;Then our pale joys will seem a dream forgotten,Our Sun a darkness, and our Day a Night.
A little longer, and thy Heart, Belovèd,Shall beat forever with a Love divine;And joy so pure, so mighty, so eternal,No creature knows and lives, will then be thine.
A little longer yet—and angel voicesShall ring in heavenly chant upon thine ear;Angels and Saints await thee, and God needs thee;Beloved, can we bid thee linger here!