ONLY waiting till the shadows | |
| Are a little longer grown, | |
| Only waiting till the glimmer | |
| Of the day’s last beam is flown; | |
| Till the night of earth is faded | 5 |
| From the heart, once full of day; | |
| Till the stars of heaven are breaking | |
| Through the twilight soft and gray. | |
| |
| Only waiting till the reapers | |
| Have the last sheaf gathered home, | 10 |
| For the summer time is faded, | |
| And the autumn winds have come. | |
| Quickly, reapers! gather quickly | |
| The last ripe hours of my heart, | |
| For the bloom of life is withered, | 15 |
| And I hasten to depart. | |
| |
| Only waiting till the angels | |
| Open wide the mystic gate, | |
| At whose feet I long have lingered, | |
| Weary, poor, and desolate. | 20 |
| Even now I hear the footsteps, | |
| And their voices far away; | |
| If they call me, I am waiting, | |
| Only waiting to obey. | |
| |
| Only waiting till the shadows | 25 |
| Are a little longer grown, | |
| Only waiting till the glimmer | |
| Of the day’s last beam is flown. | |
| Then from out the gathered darkness, | |
| Holy, deathless stars shall rise, | 30 |
| By whose light my soul shall gladly | |
| Tread its pathway to the skies. | |
| |
