Page:Roden Noel - A Little Child's Monument - 1881.pdf/70

Vital warmth, and dancing blood!
I have looked along the flowery vistas
Of his lovely paradisal spring;
I have mused, and seen myself beholding
His innocence upon the wing,
Flying in the freshly lilied alleys,
Blithely singing ever a sweet rhyme.
Wilt thou strike him dead before me? wilt thou leave me
In blind silence for all time?
I shall look for long upon his opening beauty,
See the sail fill of his gallant youth,
Fair unsheathing of a generous keen spirit
Flashing eager for the Truth!
He shall defend us, and delight us old and weary,
His poor weeping mother there and me!
Will it melt thee pondering how long and dreary
Without him all our way will be?
How we longed and prayed and waited for him!
And when, fairer than fond Hope could claim,
He arrived among us, how our hearts leapt to him,
Blessing, loving, as he came!"

Falling prone, I grovelling entreated,
"Dreadful Deity! for once be kind!"
But, implacable, It icily swept o'er me
A mighty moaning wind;
And I saw my baby in Its drear embraces,