Poems (Bushnell)/Twilight

by Frances Louisa Bushnell

For works with similar titles, see Twilight.

XVI
TWILIGHT

Aweary, vague and glimmering lies the land,
 Where Twilight, like a nun in vesture gray,
Comes with a flickering taper in her hand,
 Whose pale and spiritual ray
   Lights face and breast.

Fainter and fainter grows the upward light,
 And deeper creeps the darkness round her feet,
While all across the world she leads the night,
 And shuts the day that was so sweet
   Behind the west.

Alas! for she has left me in the arms
 Of night, who holds me in a prison cell:
Begirt with dark and shadowy alarms,
 I pray for light, whose sword can fell
   These phantom foes!

At last there come faint shinings through the veil,
 As if behind it had been born a star;
The dead horizon grows a circlet pale,
 And out beyond the world more far
   Blossoms a rose.

Tis twilight, with the rose upon her cheek,
 In veil and clear adornments of a bride;
Her happy eyes the happy tidings speak,
 She throws the portals open wide,
   And lo! the sun!

When dark-winged grief o'ershadows me with night
 Shall not my soul with hope the day await?
For that which brought the darkness brings the light,
 And opens the eternal gate
   Toward which I run.