| Edmund Clarence Stedman, ed. (1833–1908). An American Anthology, 1787–1900. 1900. |
| |
| 414. Lines to a Blind Girl |
| | | By Thomas Buchanan Read |
| |
| |
| BLIND as the song of birds, | |
| Feeling its way into the heart, | |
| Or as a thought ere it hath words,— | |
| As blind thou art: | |
| |
| Or as a little stream | 5 |
| A dainty hand might guide apart, | |
| Or Love—young Love’s delicious dream— | |
| As blind thou art: | |
| |
| Or as a slender bark, | |
| Where summer’s varying breezes start, | 10 |
| Or blossoms blowing in the dark,— | |
| As blind thou art: | |
| |
| Or as the Hope, Desire | |
| Leads from the bosom’s crowded mart, | |
| Deluded Hope, that soon must tire,— | 15 |
| As blind thou art: | |
| |
| The chrysalis, that folds | |
| The wings that shall in light depart, | |
| Is not more blind than that which holds | |
| The wings within thy heart. | 20 |
| |
| For when thy soul was given | |
| Unto the earth, a beauteous trust, | |
| To guard its matchless glory, Heaven | |
| Endungeoned it in dust. | |
| |
|
|
|
