Poems (Terry, 1861)/Departing
DEPARTING.
Weep not for the dead! they lieSafe from every changing sky;Over them thou shalt not cry Any more.Weep for him whose lessening sail,Borne upon an outward gale,Sees the beacon faint and fail On the shore.
Weep not for the dead: they sleepWhere no evil visions creep;God hath sealed their slumber deep Till His day.Weep for him who fleeth fastOn a fierce and alien blast,Torn from all the haunted past, Far away.
He shall never see againHome-lit valley, hill, or plain; He shall mourn and cry in vain O'er the dead.Wandering in a stranger-land,None shall grasp his listless hand,No sweet sister-nurse shall stand By his bed.
Weep for him, and weep for thoseWho shall never more uncloseHome's dear portals, nor repose In its rest.Foreign where their kindred dwell,Strange where they have loved too well,Homesick as no speech can tell, All unblest.
For the dead thou shalt not mourn,He hath reached a peaceful bourne;Weep for him, the travel-worn, All alone!Life's long torture he must bearTill his very soul despair,Helpless both for cry or prayer; Make his moan!