NOCTURNE

New Zealand Tablet, 19 October 1916, Page 55

NOCTURNE

(For the N.Z. Tablet.) The setting sun throws shadows on the sands And pillowdd on the bosom of the deep Day rests her weary head, while golden strands Flow out to greet the dawn in other lands. Dark night draws nearer with her veil of sleep— A drowsy fragrance floats upon the breeze— And peace enfolds the earth, hushed are the seas. And all is still—save for the startled cry Of some lone wand'ring sea-bird homeward sped; Dim fleecy shadows drift across the sky, Like phantoms of the darkness borne on high. And, from the jewelled firmament o'erhead— Pale crescent in the canopy of night— The waning moon sheds down her mystic light. Oft in the dusk of evening have I viewed This tranquil scene, and dreaming, lingered there—■ Secluded where no stranger would intrude To mar the music of my solitude. Elysian charm ! that banishes ail care, There I forget the troubles of the day : And peace is mine—the world is far away. —Harold Gallagher. Dunedin.