In the Dark

All moveless stand the ancient cedar-trees
Along the drifted sand-hills where they grow;
And from the dark west comes a wandering breeze,
And waves them to and fro.

A murky darkness lies along the sand,
Where bright the sunbeams of the morning shone;
And the eye vainly seeks, by sea and land,
Some light to rest upon.

No large, pale star its glimmering vigil keeps;
An inky sea reflects an inky sky;
And the dark river, like a serpent, creeps
To where its black piers lie.

Strange, salty odors through the darkness steal,
And through the dark the ocean-thunders roll:
Thick darkness gathers, stifling, till I feel
Its weight upon my soul!

I stretch my hands out in the empty air;
I strain my eyes into the heavy night;
Blackness of darkness! . . . Father, hear my prayer
Grant me to see the light!