Classic Poem

Recall, while now thy longing gaze
Grows dim with more than autumn's haze,
Of all the walks thy feet have pressed,—
That path the peacefulest to rest:

Of fountains that thy need have nursed,
That “well” the sweetest to thy thirst:

Of flowers—and lo! thy hands were full—
That blossom the most beautiful:

Of touch and tone, through all the past,
The tenderest and lingering last:

That radiance of the vanished years,
Most radiant for thy very tears:

Name that which, trembling like a star,
Shines with our loved and lost, so far;

Yet nearest to our inner dreams
Brings the soft flow of Eden's streams;

Lighting the shadows where we stand
With angel eyes on either hand:—

Mute lips, or with hosannas, these
Make answer with our memories,

In music blending to express
Pure beauty in its perfectness—
Earth's charm, Heaven's glory—