Poems (Cary)/To the Spirit of Gladness

​
TO THE SPIRIT OF GLADNESS.
Underneath a dreary sky, Spirit glad and free,Voyaging solemnly am I Toward an unknown sea.Falls the moonlight, sings the breeze,But thou speakest not in these.
In the summers overflown What delights we had!Now I sit all day alone, Weaving ditties sad;But thou comest not for the sakeOf the lonesome rhymes I make.
Faithless spirit, spirit free, Where mayst thou be found?Where the meadow fountains be Raining music round,And the thistle burs so blueShine the livelong day with dew.
Keep thee, in thy pleasant bowers, From my heart and brain;Even the summer's lap of flowers ​ Could not cool the pain;And for pallid cheek and browWhat companionship hast thou?
Erewhile, when the rainy spring Filled the pastures fullOf sweet daisies blossoming Out as white as wool;We have gathered them, and madeBeds of Beauty in the shade.
Would that I had any friend Lovingly to goTo the hollows where they blend With the grasses low,And a pillow soft and whiteMake for the approaching night.
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.