Page:Poems (IA poemslowell00lowe).pdf/121
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A Dirge.
103
Thy curse it was to see and hear
Beyond to-day's scant hemisphere,
Beyond all mists of doubt and fear,
Into a life more true and clear,—
And dearly thou didst rue it.
Beyond to-day's scant hemisphere,
Beyond all mists of doubt and fear,
Into a life more true and clear,—
And dearly thou didst rue it.
"Thou sow'st no gold, and shalt not reap!"
Muttered Earth, turning in her sleep;
"Come home to the eternal deep!"
Murmured a voice, and a wide sweep
Of wings through thy soul's hush did creep,
As of thy doom o'erflying;
It seemed as thy strong heart would leap
Out of thy breast, and thou didst weep,
But not with fear of dying;
Men could not fathom thy deep fears,
They could not understand thy tears,
The hoarded agony of years
Of bitter self-denying;
So once, when, high above the spheres,
Thy spirit sought its starry peers,
It came not back to face the jeers
Of brothers who denied it;
Muttered Earth, turning in her sleep;
"Come home to the eternal deep!"
Murmured a voice, and a wide sweep
Of wings through thy soul's hush did creep,
As of thy doom o'erflying;
It seemed as thy strong heart would leap
Out of thy breast, and thou didst weep,
But not with fear of dying;
Men could not fathom thy deep fears,
They could not understand thy tears,
The hoarded agony of years
Of bitter self-denying;
So once, when, high above the spheres,
Thy spirit sought its starry peers,
It came not back to face the jeers
Of brothers who denied it;