Life’s Pauses.
A curious stranger environed in doubt,1
An interrogation-point toddling about,2
A bundle of questions,—nothing more,—3
Cooing and creeping upon the floor.4
A comma of sunshine, a playtime to see5
The flower, the bird, the brook, and the tree ;6
A vision of childhood,—count one for the pause,—7
A ripple of laughter, a golden clause.8
A stile in the pathway, a summer day,9
A blissful moment too sweet to stay ;10
Swift semicolon of youth divine,11
Count two in tracing the raptured line.12
An exclamation— “ You ! O You ! ”13
The same old story, forever new,14
An arrow’s flight to a soul new-found,15
A volume of love in a vowel-sound.16
A song, a prayer, a marriage
vow,17
A compound word in the chapter now,18
Only a hyphen, but angels wait19
And hush their anthem in heaven’s gate.20
A gleam of light in the gliding years,21
A colon of joy in the font appears,22
A point of hope in the fleeting text :—23
Our line continued in the next.24
The sentence finished, a gentle mound25
By waving grass encircled round ;26
A period here, but not complete,27
Merely a rest for weary feet.28
A rest for the night till the morning wakes,29
Till the purple east in glory breaks ;30
Faith writes a dash for the great To-Be—31
Beyond Time’s bracket—Eternity.32