I was dreaming in my room, ‘Mid its shadows still as they,
Not the dreams that float in sleep, But the dreams that haunt the day
To me, from the outer gloom, Sad as tears that kiss love’s tomb
Voices come from far away, Whence? Who know’s? Is there a sense
More of the soul than of the flesh, Which hears in hours that are intense
What is not heard by carnal ears, Sounds which the spirit only hears.
Or as the shells of ocean keep, The sounds they heard on ocean’s shore
Which murmur ever in their cells, As all sounds we ever heard
The living spirits of each word, Within our spirits ever sleep.
Does thus the past live evermore, Deep down in memory’s sacred shells
It is to me a mystery, yet this, I know or seem to know
There is a sense of mighty power, Within us which in sacred home
Hears from the far and “Long Ago,” The sound of voice soft and low
E’en the voice of the dead And the very things they said
Ears hear them not and yet they reach, The souls without the form of speech
Do these strange voices, this my doubt, Comes from within or from without [?]
I was dreaming in my room, ‘Mid the shadows sad and gray
And my heart was lone as they. To me from the outer gloom
Or from some depth in my heart, Came the voices-all my art
Cannot translate what I heard, Into speech or written word.
Can the song of any bird, E’er be caged in poet’s lines
Can this wave at night that pines, When its heart breaks on the beach
Send its moans to human speech. There are only Nature’s cries
Nature knows not what they mean, Though in Nature’s songs and sighs
There are meanings deep, I ween, But those voices, human are.
Or within me or from far, Still I’ll try to sing inward
What I hear and what I heard.
First her voice, an Angel-Nun, Not a star and not a sun
Shining on her cloistered grave, Ever gives or ever gave
Out of their pure hearts of light, Rays of purity as white
As the heart within her breast, Sleeping in her place of rest.
Never to the skies above, Rose upon its sunlit way
Sweeter, gentler, whiter Dove, Than her soul that August Day
Love-winged to the God of love.