Poems (Dorr)/Night and Morning

by Julia Caroline Dorr

NIGHT AND MORNING

I.

Night and darkness over all!
Nature sleeps beneath a pall;
Not a ray from moon or stars
Glimmers through the cloudy bars;
Huge and black the mountains stand
Frowning upon either hand,
And the river, dark and deep,
Gropes its way from steep to steep.
Yonder tree, whose young leaves played
In the sunshine and the shade,
Stretches out its arms like one
Sudden blindness hath undone.
Pale and dim the rose-queen lies
Robbed of all her gorgeous dyes,
And the lily bendeth low,
Mourner in a garb of woe.
Never a shadow comes or goes,
Never a gleam its glory throws
Over cottage or over hall—
Darkness broodeth over all!

II.

Lo! the glorious morning breaks!
Nature from her sleep awakes,
And, in purple pomp, the day
Bids the darkness flee away.
Crowned with light the mountains stand
Royally on either hand,
And the laughing waters run
In glad haste to meet the sun.
Stately trees, exultant, raise
Their proud heads in grateful praise;
Flowers, dew-laden, everywhere
Pour rich incense on the air,
And the ascending vapors rise
Like the smoke of sacrifice.
Birds are trilling, bees are humming,
Swift to greet the new day coming,
And earth's myriad voices sing
Hymns of grateful welcoming.
Bursting from night's heavy thrall,
Heaven's own light is over all!