Poems (Cary)/To Mary

For works with similar titles, see To Mary.
​
TO MARY.
Oh, will affection's tendrils twine About that summer time for aye.When, midway 'twixt thy home and mine, The quiet village churchyard lay!—With stars beginning to ascend, The nighthawks scooping through the air—Dost thou remember, oh my friend, How often we have parted there?
That summer was a sunlit sea, Reflecting neither cloud nor frown,Yet in its bright wave noiselessly Some ventures of the heart went down:Blest be the one that still outrides The silent but tumultuous strifeOf hopes and fears, the heaving tides, That beat against the shore of life!
The flowers run wild that used to be So softly tended by thy hand—Colors of beauty struck at sea, And drifted backward to the land;Breathing of havens whence we sailed, Visions of lovelight seen and fled,Swift barks of gladness met and hailed— Of beacon fires, and land ahead!
​
To-night, sweet friend, the light and shade Are trembling softly in my heart;A hush upon my soul is laid— Our paths henceforth must lie apart;In the dim chamber where I sit, Fears, hopes, and memories rise and blend,Like cloud wastes with the sunshine lit— Only with them art thou my friend!
This article is issued from Wikisource. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.