1845-47]
THE HERO
405
Furnish his stall
With better yet,—
For earthly pleasures
Celestial pains,
Heavenly losses
For earthly gains.
Still to begin—unheard-of sin
A fallen angel—a risen man
Never returns to where he began.
Some childlike labor
Here to perform,
Some baby-house
To keep out the storm,
And make the sun laugh
While he doth warm,
And the moon cry
To think of her youth,
The months gone by,
And wintering truth.
How long to morning?
Can any tell?
How long since the warning
On our ears fell?
The bridegroom cometh
Know we not well?
Are we not ready,
Our packet made,
Our hearts steady,
Last words said?
Must we still eat
