Oh! that my young life were a lasting dream!

[[n]]

My spirit not awak’ning, till the beam

Of an Eternity should bring the morrow.

Yes! tho’ that long dream were of hopeless sorrow.

5

’Twere better than the cold reality

Of waking life, to him whose heart must be,

[[n]]

And hath been still, upon the lovely earth,

A chaos of deep passion, from his birth.

[[n]]

But should it be — that dream eternally

10

Continuing — as dreams have been to me

In my young boyhood — should it thus be giv’n

’Twere folly still to hope for higher Heav’n.

[[n]]

For I have revell’d when the sun was bright

[[n]]

In the summer sky, in dreams of living light. [page 23:]

15

And loveliness, — have left my very heart

[[n]]

In climes of my imaginings apart

[[n]]

From mine own home, with beings that have been

Of mine own thought — what more could I have seen?

[[n]]

’Twas once — and only once — and the wild hour

20

From my remembrance shall not pass — some pow’r

Or spell had bound me — ’twas the chilly wind

Came o’er me in the night, and left behind

[[n]]

Its image on my spirit — or the moon

Shone on my slumbers in her lofty noon

25

[[n]]

Too coldly — or the stars — howe’er it was

That dream was as that night-wind — let it pass.

[[n]]

I have been happy, tho’ in a dream.

I have been happy — and I love the theme:

[[n]]

Dreams! in their vivid colouring of life

30

As in that fleeting, shadowy, misty strife

Of semblance with reality which brings

To the delirious eye, more lovely things

Of Paradise and Love — and all our own!

Than young Hope in his sunniest hour hath known.

(1827)