Song of the Morning-Glories
We wedded each a star—
A warrior true,
That plighted faith afar
In drops of dew.
But comes the cruel Dawn;
The dew is dry;
And we, our lovers gone,
Lamenting, die.
Fog
The ghost am I
Of winds that die
Alike on land or sea,
In silence deep
To shroud and keep
Their mournful memory.
A spirit white
I stalk the night,
Or, shadowing the skies,
Forbid the sun
To look upon
My noonday mysteries.
All in All
One heaven above;
But many a heaven below
The dewdrops show—
God’s tenderness
Subdued in every teardrop to express
The whole of love.
To a Rose
Thou hast not toiled, sweet Rose,
Yet needest rest;
Softly thy petals close
Upon thy breast,
Like folded hands, of labor long oppressed.
Naught knowest thou of sin,
Yet tears are thine;
Baptismal drops within
Thy chalice shine,
At morning’s birth, at evening’s calm decline.
Alas! one day hath told
The tale to thee!
Thy tender leaves enfold
Life’s mystery:
Its shadow falls alike on thee and me!
Moon-Flowers
The summer night remembers
The morning glories slain,
And from the twilight embers
Recalls their ghosts again.
John B. Tabb [1]
For a recitation, click the play button:
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“Song of the Morning-Glories”: Lyrics, p. 107; Poetry, p. 17. 1897. Morning Glories are flowering plants (family Convolvulaceae) whose blossoms usually last for only one morning, new blossoms opening each day. Plighted means pledged or promised solemnly, especially a promise to wed.
“Fog”: Later Poems, p. 56; Poetry, p. 59. March 1903.
“All in All”: Lyrics, p. 59; Poetry, p. 135. April 1895.
“To a Rose”: Poems, p. 64; Poetry, p. 7. 1894. The Rose is a common, widely-cultivated perennial flowering shrub (genus Rosa). Naught means nothing.
“Moon-Flowers”: Later Lyrics, p. 84; Poetry, p. 327. November 1898. Moon flowers are flowering plants (genus Datura) that typically bloom at night; many of the species have white flowers. Morning Glories are flowering plants (family Convolvulaceae) whose blossoms usually last for only one morning, new blossoms opening each day.