Poems (Sherwin)/Mortality

by Elizabeth Sherwin

For works with similar titles, see Mortality.

MORTALITY.

  The morn arose, the air was calm and mild,
All nature bloomed and in soft beauty smiled;
When young Mortality awaking rose
Fresh from creation's bed—and left repose.
She wandered forth—a careless sprightly maid—
And in the world's wide garden gaily strayed.

  All, all was charming then,—the clear blue sky
Unclouded smiled and pleased her youthful eye.
The flowers were fresh, and shed perfume around,
And with their varied hues bedecked the ground:
The sparkling dewdrop trembled on the thorn,
And dulcet strains were on the breezes borne.

  On, on she smiling tripped from flower to flower,
And bathed in pleasure's stream, or sought her bower
Unconscious that the future hours were rife
With toil and care, and bitterness, and strife.

  The day advanced, the flowers began to fade,
The parching sun drove her to seek the shade;
Clouds gathered round, and hid the azure sky;
Storms swept along, and changes flitted by.
Thorns now she saw were hid beneath the flowers.
And coiling snakes lay sleeping in the bowers.
Love—Hate—Hope—Fear—Joy—Grief—Despair,
Alternately her bosom rack and tear.

  Noon waned apace, young Joy pined and expired,
Gay hope grew sick, and airy Fancy tired;
And, crushed by time's unflinching hand, the maid
Began to languish—wither—droop and fade.

  Chill evening came and found the roses gone,
The birds all silent,—morning's beauty flown,
And poor Mortality, in pitious plight,
Viewing dismayed the coming shades of night.
Her cheek was blanched—her sparkling eyes grown dim-
Her hair was grey, and faltering every limb;
Friends had departed—all she loved had fled—
Each scene had faded—Hope herself seemed dead;
When, by compassion moved—with pitying eye
Her great creator, bending from on high,
Sent from his throne of grace the soothing aid
Of kind religion—pure angelic maid,
Whose healing balm soon soothed her broken heart,
And Hope reviving reassumed her part,
$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$And, smiling, pointed to that world of day
Where darkness never comes—where light bears sway;
While Faith, unflinching, led the thorny way.
And as the night of life was closing round,
A glittering cross illumed the gloom profound;
While fearful Death, of his sharp sting bereft,—
His terrors gone—his comforts only left—
Stalked forth,—and with his stern attendant, Fate,
Flung wide the portals of life's last dark gate;
And Hope—and Faith—and Charity—and Love,
Bore the lorn maiden to the realms above.