The poems of Thomas Hood Author:Thomas Hood Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: TO A CHILD EMBRACING HIS MOTHER. I. Love thy mother, little one! Kiss and clasp her neck again,— Hereafter she may have a son Will kiss and clasp her neck... more » in vain. Love thy mother, little one! Gaze upon her living eyes, And mirror back her love for thee,— Hereafter thou may'st shudder sighs To meet them when they cannot see. Gaze upon her living eyes ! Press her lips the while they glow With love that they have often told,— Hereafter thou may'st press in woe, And kiss them till thine own are cold. Press her lips the while they glow! Oh, revere her raven hair! Altho' it be not silver-gray; Too early Death, led on by Care, May snatch save one dear lock away. Oh! revere her raven hair! Pray for her at eve and morn, That Heaven may long the stroke defer,- For thou may'st live the hour forlorn When thou wilt ask to die with her. Pray for her at eve and morn! STANZAS. Farewell Life! my senses swim, And the world is growing dim: Thronging shadows cloud the light, Like the advent of the night— Colder, colder, colder still, Upward steals a vapour chill; Strong the earthy odour grows— I smell the mould above the rose! Welcome Life! the Spirit strives! Strength returns and hope revives; Cloudy fears and shapes forlorn Fly like shadows at the morn,— O'er the earth there comes a bloom; Sunny light for sullen gloom, Warm perfume for vapour cold— I smell the rose above the mould! April, 1845. TO A FALSE FRIEND. Ouk hands have met, but not our hearts; Our hands will never meet again. Friends, if we have ever been, Friends we cannot now remain: I only know I loved you once, I only know I loved in vain; Our hands have met, but not our hearts; Our hands will never meet again! Then farewell to heart and hand ! I would our hands had never met: Even the ou...« less