Poems (Larcom)/A Word with my Soul

by Lucy Larcom

A WORD WITH MY SOUL.

SOUL, what wisdom hast thou won,
Since thine earth-house was begun,
  From loss of precious things,
  And fair refurnishings?
Of all the guests that came and went,
Leaving their calm or discontent?
  From crumblings of decay,—
  New openings unto day?

Wouldst thou, soul, escape thy Past?
Life's foundation holds it fast.
  The purity, the sin,
  Alike are grounded in:
Therefrom doth lovely leafage spring;
Thence creepeth mould and tottering.
  Whatso lies stifled there
  Bring boldly to the air.

Soul, no Past can shelter thee:
Pleasant though its rooms may be,
  Opening unto earth,
  Filled with bloom and mirth,
To-day thou dost in vain return
To kindle fires that will not burn:
  As vainly shut its doors,
  Or veil its haunted floors.

Soul, thou hast arisen now
To the Present's sunnier glow:
  Thy windows are flung wide
  To light, on every side:
Beloved comrades gather here,
For work, and company, and cheer.
  Look in or out, and own
  How fair thy world has grown.

Sayest thou, Soul,
"Here will I live;
  Peace enjoy, and blessings give"?
  Tarriers of a day,
Dear guests will not stay:
Wild winter comes: thy vines are bare:
  Storm-beaten walls need large repair:
  Night curtains thy glad room;
  Shrouds thee in lonely gloom.

Build up, Soul, a lofty stair;
Build a room in healthier air.
  Here there is no rest:
  Better climbs to best.
Thy friends shall be the eternal stars;
They greet thee through thy casement bars
  Thy homesick feet they lead
  Where thou no house wilt need.

Learn thou, Soul of mine, past doubt,
Thou canst all things do without:
  All that through thy Past
  Winds and clings so fast:
Sweet pictures hidden with a sigh,
As far too perfect to put by;
  And all the wealth of thought
  Into thy Present wrought.

From that height, Soul, thou shalt see,
In thy sky-tower, pluming thee
  For unfettered flight
  Through the fields of light,
The beauty of thine earthly nest,
As never, while it gave thee rest:
  Yea, in thyself shalt find
  Joy that seemed left behind.