Thou hast Wounded the Spirit.
Thou hast wounded the spirit that loved thee,
And cherished thine image for years;
Thou hast taught me at last to forget thee,
In secret, in silence, and tears,
As a young bird, when left by its mother
Its earliest pinions to try,
’Round the nest will still lingering hover,
Ere its trembling wings can fly.
Thus we’re taught in this cold world to smother
Each feeling that once was so dear;
Like that young bird, I’ll seek to discover
A home of affection elsewhere.
Tho’ this heart may still cling to thee fondly,
And dream of sweet memories past,
Yet Hope, like the rainbow of summer,
Gives a promise of Lethe at last.