Poems (Rice)/To Dr. Perry

​
TO DR. PERRY,WITH A CLUSTER OF VIOLETS, IN HIS LAST ILLNESS.
VIOLETS, these sweet violets! will they not soothe thy pain,And bring the welcome hues of health back to thy cheek again? I sought them with this pure desire, so lowly, gemmed with dew, And hasten, ere their beauty dies, thy lonely couch to strew. Though unpretending they may seem, 'tis all that I can bring; However small the gift, ofttimes it may a magic fling Around our hearts, about our paths, wherever we may go,And these so simply beautiful, must bear a charm, I know.
When arrested in life's walks by sudden grief or pain, How kindly hast thou ministered till health returned again; And now a balm of joy I'd bring to offer in return For all thy counsels given me, that I relief might learn. ​May these humble flowerets shed around their rich perfume, Their mystic eloquence pervade thy heart, thy soul illume; May each loving dream that's past their presence now recall, Bid every pulse thrill with delight, till pain no more inthrall.
Could my sympathy avail, how gratefully I'd pour; In tender offices of love thy feeble strength restore. The desolation, agony! alas, I may not tell How much is mingled in thy cup—on this I dare not dwell: But ask of Him who reigns above, a blessing now to send, To soothe thy anguish, cheer thy heart, thine every ill to mend;May all the friends thou'st ever loved be dearer now to see—Such lovely coronals of hope as these I bear to thee.
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.