Verses Author:Helen Hunt Jackson 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: "SPOKEN." Sweet little one, whate'er befall, Thou wilt not know that it was all, In vain thy warning. I may not borrow A hope, a help. I close my eyes ... more »; Cold wind blows from the Bridge of Sighs; Kneeling I wait to-morrow. Venice, May 30. "SPOKEN." COUNTING the hours by bells and lights We rose and sank ; The waves on royal banquet-heights Tossed off and drank Their jewels made of sun and moon, White pearls at midnight, gold at noon. Counting the hours by bells and lights, We sailed and sailed ; Six lonely days, six lonely nights, No ship we hailed. Till all the sea seemed bound in spell, And silence sounded like a knell. At last, just when by bells and lights Of seventh day The dawn grew clear, in sudden flights White sails away To east, like birds, went spreading slow Their wings which reddened in the glow. No more we count the bells and lights; We laugh for joy. The trumpets with their brazen mights Call, " Ship ahoy! " We hold each other's hands ; our cheeks Are wet with tears ; but no one speaks. In instant comes the sun and lights The ship with fire ; Each mast creeps up to dizzy heights, A blazing spire; One faint " Ahoy," then all in vain We look ; we are alone again. I have forgotten bells and lights, And waves which drank Their jewels up ; those days and nights Which rose and sank Have turned like other pasts, and fled, And carried with them all their dead. But every day that fire ship lights My distant blue, And every day glad wonder smites My heart anew, How in that instant each could heed And hear the other's swift God-speed.THE WAY TO SING. Counting by hours thy days and nights In weariness, 0 patient soul, on godlike heights Of loneliness, 1 passe...« less