| Edmund Clarence Stedman, ed. (1833–1908). An American Anthology, 1787–1900. 1900. |
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| 1411. The Night-Blooming Cereus |
| | | By Harriet Monroe |
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| FLOWER of the moon! | |
| Still white is her brow whom we worshiped on earth long ago; | |
| Yea, purer than pearls in deep seas, and more virgin than snow. | |
| The dull years veil their eyes from her shining, and vanish afraid, | |
| Nor profane her with age—the immortal, nor dim her with shade. | 5 |
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| It is we are unworthy, we worldlings, to dwell in her ways; | |
| We have broken her altars and silenced her voices of praise. | |
| She hath hearkened to singing more silvern, seen raptures more bright; | |
| To some planet more pure she hath fled on the wings of the night,— | |
| Flower of the moon! | 10 |
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| Yet she loveth the world that forsook her, for, lo! once a year | |
| She, Diana, translucent, pale, scintillant, down from her sphere | |
| Floateth earthward like star-laden music, to bloom in a flower, | |
| And our hearts feel the spell of the goddess once more for an hour. | |
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| See! she sitteth in splendor nor knoweth desire nor decay, | 15 |
| And the night is a glory around her more bright than the day, | |
| And her breath hath the sweetness of worlds where no sorrow is known; | |
| And we long as we worship to follow her back to her own,— | |
| Flower of the moon! | |
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