A MOMENT OF TIME.

Otago Witness, Issue 1912, 13 July 1888, Page 29

A MOMENT OF TIME.

A moment of time, ere appointed its place, Ib speeding away like a star into space, As swiftness of thought, as the flight of a bird, As briefly transpires through the breath of a word, As short as that breath in release at the last, A moment of time ha 9 existed and past. A moment sufficed for the dawning of day, Creating this soul with its structure of clay ; A moment was all that wat needed of grace, Ere «in intervened and disputd its place — The place of the soul -when a flickering breath May taste in oue moment the torment of death. A blow has been struck in a moment of strife, And friendship dissolved from that moment f orlif c ; A cau«e has been lost and a cause has been won, In a moment with life that was loving undone ; . Aye, even the thought which enkindles to crime Has power to conceive in one moment of time. A moment of time and the darkness of nighfc Is dying away in the dawning of light ; A comforting word cheers the heart of the sad, In a moment the sorrowful nature is glad ; Though grief may ensue — in the shape of a kiss, Hope enters the heart in a moment of bliss. And moments of time when recorded in years May close with a clasp on a life of arrears, M*y call up regret, or may comfort the heart Ere the moment arrives for the time to depart ; Through life until death as the moments go by, Oue moment we live and one moment we die. —Esmond, July 3.