At the Bars of Memory and Other Poems/In Parting
IN PARTING
When time draws nigh to say goodbye
To those I prize and hold,
And the soul of me puts out to sea,
And earth grows dark and cold;
God grant me pow'r in that last hour
To wave a fond adieu
To those who grieve because I leave
From out the soundless blue.
And may they know as I must go
Across death's borderland,
I liv'd my days on life's highways
Seeking to understand;
Seeking to give to those who live
The flowers they have won
Ere they have found the plot of ground—
Sacred spot in the sun.
To those who weep for me asleep.
May God bring comfort there;
And may He bless with His caress
The heart that feels despair:
For I will wait within the gate
Where angel faces smile
To meet them when we meet again
In just a little while!