Kathy's Mom -- Frances
02/26/32 -- 05/03/08
Gone From My Sight
by Henry Van Dyke
I am standing upon the seashore. A ship, at my side,
spreads her white sails to the moving breeze and starts
for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength.
I stand and watch her until, at length, she hangs like a speck
of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.
Then, someone at my side says, "There, she is gone"
Gone where?
Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast,
hull and spar as she was when she left my side.
And, she is just as able to bear her load of living freight to her destined port.
Her diminished size is in me -- not in her.
And, just at the moment when someone says, "There, she is gone,"
there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices
ready to take up the glad shout, "Here she comes!"
And that is dying...
*************************
A Mother Finds Rest
— Edgar A Guest
And now she dwells where
Neither doubt nor fear
May find her breast;
No crying child may now
Disturb her here
Or break her rest.
Ended the ache of living.
Here she lies In wondrous peace.
God left a smile about her
Lovely eyes
With her release.
How oft we fretted her
Or caused her pain,
We cannot say.
Long hours she watched
Beside the window pane
With us away.
Her sleep we broke with
Whimpering and sighs
When we were ill.
Nor thought it much to
Rouse her with our cries,
As children will.
But now we suffer so,
And vainly call
For her to come.
Her feet will never tread
Again the hall,
Her lips are dumb.
Love had no more sweet
Service to provide,
But this we know,
She’ll watch us upon the
Other side,
Who tried her so. How oft we fretted her
Or caused her pain,
We cannot say.
Long hours she watched
Beside the window pane
With us away.
Her sleep we broke with
Whimpering and sighs
When we were ill.
Nor thought it much to
Rouse her with our cries,
As children will.
But now we suffer so,
And vainly call
For her to come.
Her feet will never tread
Again the hall,
Her lips are dumb.
Love had no more sweet
Service to provide,
But this we know,
She’ll watch us upon the
Other side,
Who tried her so.
*************************
On the Wings White Dove
by ????
On the wings of a snow-white dove
He sends His pure sweet love
A sign from above (sign from above)
On the wings of a dove (wings of a dove)
When troubles surround us, when evils comeThe body grows weak (body grows weak)
The spirit grows numb (spirit grows numb)
When these things beset us, He doesn't forget us
He sends down His love (sends down His love)
On the wings of a dove (wings of a dove)
On the wings of a snow-white dove
He sends His pure sweet love
A sign from above (sign from above)
On the wings of a dove (wings of a dove)
When Noah had drifted on the flood many days
He searched for land (he searched for land)
In various ways (various ways)
Troubles, he had some but wasn't forgotten
He sent him His love (sent him His love)
On the wings of a dove (wings of a dove)
On the wings of a snow-white dove
He sends His pure sweet love
A sign from above (sign from above)
On the wings of a dove (wings of a dove)
On the wings of a snow-white dove
He sends His pure sweet love
A sign from above (sign from above)
On the wings of a dove (wings of a dove)
On the wings of a dove (wings of a dove)
On the wings of a dove (wings of a dove)
On the wings of a dove (wings of a dove)
