Celia Thaxter Quotes

The barren island dreams in flowers, while blow The south winds, drawing haze o'er sea and land; Yet the great heart of ocean, throbbing slow, Makes the frail blossoms vibrate where they stand; And hints of heavier pulses soon to shake Its mighty breast when summer is no more, And devastating waves sweep on and break, And clasp with girdle white the iron shore.

O brief, bright smile of summer! O days divine and dear The voices of winter's sorrow Already we can hear. And we know that the frosts will find us, And the smiling skies grow rude, While we look in the face of Beauty, And worship her every mood.

Across the narrow beach we flit, One little sand-piper and I; And fast I gather, bit by bit. The scattered driftwood, bleached and dry.

Already the dandelions Are changed into vanishing ghosts.

Thou great Creator! Pardon us who reach For other heaven beyond this world of thine, This matchless world, where thy least touch doth teach Thy solemn lessons clearly, line on line. And help us to be grateful, we who live Such sordid, fretful lives of discontent, Nor see the sunshine nor the flower, nor strive To find the love thy bitter chastening meant.

To the heart of Nature one must needs be drawn in such a life-and very soon I learned how richly she repays in deep refreshment the reverent love of her worshipper. Infinite varieties of beauty always awaited m, and filled me with such an absorbing, unreasoning joy such as makes the song-sparrow sing- a sense of perfect bliss. Like countless rosy trumpets tossed everywhere about the rocks, turned up to the sky, drooping toward the ground, or looking east, west, north, south in silent loveliness. It seemed as if they had gathered the peace of the golden morning in their still depths even as my heart has also.

Collected in: Sisters of the Earth: Women's Prose and Poetry About Nature by Lorraine Anderson

What though our eyes with tears be wet? The sunrise never failed us yet.</p>The blush of dawn may yet restore Our light and hope and joy once more. Sad soul, take comfort, nor forget That sunrise never failed us yet!

The summer day was spoiled with fitful storm; At night the wind died and the soft rain dropped; With lulling murmur, and the air was warm, And all the tumult and the trouble stopped.

Who shall compass or fathom God's thought profound?
We can but praise, for we may not understand;
But there's no more beautiful riddle the whole world round
Than is hid in this heap of dust I hold in my hand.

There shall be
Eternal summer in the grateful heart.

The heart of God through his creation stirs, We thrill to feel it, trembling as the flowers That die to live again, — his messengers, To keep faith firm in these sad souls of ours. The waves of Time may devastate our lives, The frosts of age may check our failing breath, They shall not touch the spirit that survives Triumphant over doubt and pain and death.