Poems (Spofford)/Left Ashore
LEFT ASHORE.
Softly it stole up out of the sea,
The day that brought my dole to me;
Slowly into the star-sown gray,
Dim and dappled, it soared away.
Who would have dreamed such tender light
Was brimming over with bale and blight?
Who would have dreamed that fitful breeze
Fanned from the tumult of tossing seas?
Oh, softly and slowly stole up from the sea
The day that brought my dole to me!
The day that brought my dole to me;
Slowly into the star-sown gray,
Dim and dappled, it soared away.
Who would have dreamed such tender light
Was brimming over with bale and blight?
Who would have dreamed that fitful breeze
Fanned from the tumult of tossing seas?
Oh, softly and slowly stole up from the sea
The day that brought my dole to me!
Glad was I at the open door,
While my footfall lingered along the floor,
For three bright heads at that dawn of day
Close on the self-same pillow lay;
Three dear mouths I bent and kissed,
As the gold and rose and amethyst
Of the eastern sky was round us shed;
And three little happy faces sped
To the dancing boat,—and he went too,—
And lightly the wind that morning blew.
While my footfall lingered along the floor,
For three bright heads at that dawn of day
Close on the self-same pillow lay;
Three dear mouths I bent and kissed,
As the gold and rose and amethyst
Of the eastern sky was round us shed;
And three little happy faces sped
To the dancing boat,—and he went too,—
And lightly the wind that morning blew.
Many a time had one and all
Gone out before to the deep-sea haul;
Many a time come rowing back
Against the tide of the Merrimack,
With shining freight, and a reddening sail
Flapping loose in the idle gale;
While over them faded the evening glow,
With stars above and with stars below,
Trolling and laughing, a welcome din,
To me, and the warm shore making in.
Gone out before to the deep-sea haul;
Many a time come rowing back
Against the tide of the Merrimack,
With shining freight, and a reddening sail
Flapping loose in the idle gale;
While over them faded the evening glow,
With stars above and with stars below,
Trolling and laughing, a welcome din,
To me, and the warm shore making in.
Then why that day, as I watched the boat,
Did I remember the midnight rote
That rolled a signal across my sleep
Of the storm that cried from deep to deep,
Plunging along in its eager haste
Across the desert and desolate waste,
Far off through the heart of the gray mid seas,
To rob me forever of all my ease?
Oh, I know not: I only know
That sound was the warning of my woe.
Did I remember the midnight rote
That rolled a signal across my sleep
Of the storm that cried from deep to deep,
Plunging along in its eager haste
Across the desert and desolate waste,
Far off through the heart of the gray mid seas,
To rob me forever of all my ease?
Oh, I know not: I only know
That sound was the warning of my woe.
For lo, as I looked, I saw the mist
Over the channel curl and twist,
And blot the breaker out of sight
Where its angry horn gored the waters white,
Only a sea-turn, I heard them say,
That the climbing sun will burn away;
But I saw it silently settling down
Like an ashen pall upon the town.
Oh, hush! I cried; 't is some huge storm's rack!
My darlings, my darlings, will never come back!
Over the channel curl and twist,
And blot the breaker out of sight
Where its angry horn gored the waters white,
Only a sea-turn, I heard them say,
That the climbing sun will burn away;
But I saw it silently settling down
Like an ashen pall upon the town.
Oh, hush! I cried; 't is some huge storm's rack!
My darlings, my darlings, will never come back!
All day I stood on the old sea-wall,
Watching the great swell rise and fall;
And the spume and spray drove far and thin,
But never a sail came staggering in.
And out of the east a wet wind blew,
And over my head the foam-flakes flew;
Down came the night without a star,
Loud was the cry of the raging bar;
And I wrung my hands, and called, and prayed,
And the black wild east all answer made.
Watching the great swell rise and fall;
And the spume and spray drove far and thin,
But never a sail came staggering in.
And out of the east a wet wind blew,
And over my head the foam-flakes flew;
Down came the night without a star,
Loud was the cry of the raging bar;
And I wrung my hands, and called, and prayed,
And the black wild east all answer made.
Oh, long ere the cruel night was done
Came the muffled toll of the minute gun;
Nothing it meant to me, I knew,
Save that other women were waiting too;
For many the craft that, cast away,
On the shoals of the long Plum Island lay,
Wrecked and naked, a hungry horde
Of fierce white surges leaping aboard;
And bale and bundle came up from the sea,
But nothing ever came back to me.
Came the muffled toll of the minute gun;
Nothing it meant to me, I knew,
Save that other women were waiting too;
For many the craft that, cast away,
On the shoals of the long Plum Island lay,
Wrecked and naked, a hungry horde
Of fierce white surges leaping aboard;
And bale and bundle came up from the sea,
But nothing ever came back to me.
And though every pool where the full tides toss
I search for some lock of curling floss,
Yet still in my window, night by night,
The little candle is burning bright;
For, oh, if I suddenly turned to meet
My darlings coming with flying feet,
While I in the place they left me sat,
No greater marvel 't would be than that
When so softly, so slowly, stole up from the sea
The day that brought my dole to me!
I search for some lock of curling floss,
Yet still in my window, night by night,
The little candle is burning bright;
For, oh, if I suddenly turned to meet
My darlings coming with flying feet,
While I in the place they left me sat,
No greater marvel 't would be than that
When so softly, so slowly, stole up from the sea
The day that brought my dole to me!