FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   207   208   209   210   211   212   213   214   215   216   217   218   219   220   221   222   223   224   225   226   227   228   229   230   231  
232   233   234   235   236   237   238   239   240   241   242   243   >>  
rose, but secreted the thorn. 3. Then Fancy her magical pinions spread wide, And bade the young dreamer in ecstasy rise; Now, far, far behind him the green waters glide, And the cot of his forefathers blesses his eyes. 4. The jessamine clambers in flowers o'er the thatch, And the swallow chirps sweet from her nest in the wall; All trembling with transport, he raises the latch, And the voices of loved ones reply to his call. 5. A father bends o'er him with looks of delight; His cheek is impearled with a mother's warm tear; And the lips of the boy in a love kiss unite With the lips of the maid whom his bosom holds dear. 6. The heart of the sleeper beats high in his breast; Joy quickens his pulses,--all his hardships seem o'er; And a murmur of happiness steals through his rest,-- "O God! thou hast blest me,--I ask for no more." 7. Ah! whence is that flame which now bursts on his eye? Ah! what is that sound that now 'larums his ear? 'T is the lightning's red glare painting hell on the sky! 'T is the crashing of thunders, the groan of the sphere! 8. He springs from his hammock,--he flies to the deck; Amazement confronts him with images dire; Wild winds and mad waves drive the vessel a wreck; The masts fly in splinters; the shrouds are on fire. 9. Like mountains the billows tremendously swell; In vain the lost wretch calls on Mercy to save; Unseen hands of spirits are ringing his knell, And the death angel flaps his broad wings o'er the wave! 10. O sailor boy, woe to thy dream of delight! In darkness dissolves the gay frostwork of bliss! Where now is the picture that Fancy touched bright,-- Thy parents' fond pressure, and love's honeyed kiss? 11. O sailor boy! sailor boy! never again Shall home, love, or kindred, thy wishes repay; Unblessed and unhonored, down deep in the main, Full many a fathom, thy frame shall decay. 12. No tomb shall e'er plead to remembrance for thee, Or redeem form or fame from the merciless surge; But the white foam of waves shall thy winding sheet be, And winds in the midnight of winter thy dirge. 13. On a bed of green sea flowers thy limbs shall be laid,-- Around thy white bones the red coral shall grow; Of thy fair yellow locks threads of amber be made, And every part suit to thy mansion below. 14. Days, months, yea
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   207   208   209   210   211   212   213   214   215   216   217   218   219   220   221   222   223   224   225   226   227   228   229   230   231  
232   233   234   235   236   237   238   239   240   241   242   243   >>  



Top keywords:
sailor
 

flowers

 

delight

 

bright

 

touched

 

parents

 

pressure

 

picture

 

dissolves

 
darkness

months

 

frostwork

 

spirits

 

mountains

 

billows

 

tremendously

 

splinters

 
shrouds
 
wretch
 
ringing

honeyed

 

Unseen

 

Unblessed

 

winter

 

midnight

 

merciless

 

winding

 

yellow

 
Around
 

redeem


unhonored
 
vessel
 

threads

 
wishes
 
kindred
 
fathom
 

remembrance

 

mansion

 
crashing
 
voices

raises
 

trembling

 

transport

 
father
 
mother
 

impearled

 

chirps

 

spread

 

pinions

 

dreamer