DAY DREAMS.
Day Dreams! ye've ever been to me
God-sparks to warm my earthly clay;
Ye've been the leaves upon my tree,
That Winter could not sweep away.
God-sparks to warm my earthly clay;
Ye've been the leaves upon my tree,
That Winter could not sweep away.
Ye've been the blessed, phantom things,
That sung wild music in mine ear;
And freely lent me angel's wings,
To seek awhile a rarer sphere.
That sung wild music in mine ear;
And freely lent me angel's wings,
To seek awhile a rarer sphere.
Day Dreams! ye came all thick and fair,
When I went hunting down the bee;
And fresh and beautiful ye were,
As ripples on a moonlit sea.
When I went hunting down the bee;
And fresh and beautiful ye were,
As ripples on a moonlit sea.
And still ye haunt me, still I meet
The vision joys that then I met;
My quickest, fullest pulses beat;
A child-a fool-a dotard yet.
The vision joys that then I met;
My quickest, fullest pulses beat;
A child-a fool-a dotard yet.
Ah may ye ever claim my soul;
I could not live in stagnant thrall:
Better to start for wisp-light goal,
Than run no spirit-race at all.
I could not live in stagnant thrall:
Better to start for wisp-light goal,
Than run no spirit-race at all.
Up! though I tread a dazzling ridge,
"Excelsior" is a noble shout;
I'd climb on any rainbow bridge,
To let my heart look farther out.
"Excelsior" is a noble shout;
I'd climb on any rainbow bridge,
To let my heart look farther out.
Day Dreams! bright Day Dreams! still be mine;
And though Life's darkest clouds abound,
'Tis bliss to know that ye will shine,
And fling your silver edges round.
And though Life's darkest clouds abound,
'Tis bliss to know that ye will shine,
And fling your silver edges round.
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