Page:Poems Hoffman.djvu/318

THE DEMON OF DESPAIR AND THE
ANGEL OF HOPE.

Evil Enchantress spread thy raven wings,
      Thy demon wings;
Touch not my spirit with thy venomed stings,
      Thy viper stings;
Far in the night the bird of sorrow sings,
      So sadly sings.

I turn to gaze on Hope as on a star,
      A distant star;
And feel thy touch my inner vision mar,
      So sadly mar;
That o'er her beauty burns an awful scar,
      A deep, dark, scar.

Evil Enchantress, thy despised caress,
      Thy fell caress;
My soul hath shunned for only Hope could bless,
      With gladness bless;
Shall I, thy dread, unearthly power confess,
      At last confess?

No; by the heavens above me, no,
      I answer "No."
Go from my spirit, dark destroyer, go,
      With trembling go;
Let not my soul thy baleful presence know,
      Thy blighting know.

Arise, bright angel, Hope, once more arise,
      In joy arise;
Cast off the heavy cloud of thy disguise,
      Thy dark disguise;
Illumine the far future's farthest skies,
      The glorious skies.

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