Classic Poem

From the candles and dumb shadows,
— And the house where love had died,
I stole to the vast moonlight
— And the whispering life outside,
But I found no lips of comfort,
— No home in the moon's light
(I, little and lone and frightened
— In the unfriendly night),
And no meaning in the voices. . . .
— Far over the lands, and through
The dark, beyond the ocean,
— I willed to think of you !
For I knew, had you been with me
— I'd have known the words of night,
Found peace of heart, gone gladly
— In comfort of that light.

Oh! the wind with soft beguiling
— Would have stolen my thought away
And the night, subtly smiling,
— Came by the silver way;
And the moon came down and danced to me,
— And her robe was white and flying;
And trees bent their heads to me
— Mysteriously crying;
And dead voices wept around me;
— And dead soft fingers thrilled;
And the little gods whispered. . . .
— Desperately I willed;
Till all grew soft and far
— And silent . . .
And suddenly
I found you white and radiant,
— Sleeping quietly,
Far out through the tides of darkness,
— And I there in that great light
Was alone no more, nor fearful;
— For there, in the homely night,
Was no thought else that mattered,
— And nothing else was true,
But the white fire of moonlight,
— And a white dream of you.

From the candles and dumb shadows,
— And the house where love had died,
I stole to the vast moonlight
— And the whispering life outside,
But I found no lips of comfort,
— No home in the moon's light
(I, little and lone and frightened
— In the unfriendly night),
And no meaning in the voices. . . .
— Far over the lands, and through
The dark, beyond the ocean,
— I willed to think of you !
For I knew, had you been with me
— I'd have known the words of night,
Found peace of heart, gone gladly
— In comfort of that light.

Oh! the wind with soft beguiling
— Would have stolen my thought away
And the night, subtly smiling,
— Came by the silver way;
And the moon came down and danced to me,
— And her robe was white and flying;
And trees bent their heads to me
— Mysteriously crying;
And dead voices wept around me;
— And dead soft fingers thrilled;
And the little gods whispered. . . .
— Desperately I willed;
Till all grew soft and far
— And silent . . .
And suddenly
I found you white and radiant,
— Sleeping quietly,
Far out through the tides of darkness,
— And I there in that great light
Was alone no more, nor fearful;
— For there, in the homely night,
Was no thought else that mattered,
— And nothing else was true,
But the white fire of moonlight,
— And a white dream of you.

From the candles and dumb shadows,
— And the house where love had died,
I stole to the vast moonlight
— And the whispering life outside,
But I found no lips of comfort,
— No home in the moon's light
(I, little and lone and frightened
— In the unfriendly night),
And no meaning in the voices. . . .
— Far over the lands, and through
The dark, beyond the ocean,
— I willed to think of you !
For I knew, had you been with me
— I'd have known the words of night,
Found peace of heart, gone gladly
— In comfort of that light.

Oh! the wind with soft beguiling
— Would have stolen my thought away
And the night, subtly smiling,
— Came by the silver way;
And the moon came down and danced to me,
— And her robe was white and flying;
And trees bent their heads to me
— Mysteriously crying;
And dead voices wept around me;
— And dead soft fingers thrilled;
And the little gods whispered. . . .
— Desperately I willed;
Till all grew soft and far
— And silent . . .
And suddenly
I found you white and radiant,
— Sleeping quietly,
Far out through the tides of darkness,
— And I there in that great light
Was alone no more, nor fearful;
— For there, in the homely night,
Was no thought else that mattered,
— And nothing else was true,
But the white fire of moonlight,
— And a white dream of you.