BURIED HOPES.
I found a slight flaw in a diamond,
And now it is worthless to me;
Though the gem is as brilliant as ever,
Henceforth ’tis the flaw I shall see.
I had a dear friend most enticing,
Her life seemed so pure unto me;
I found a slight fault in her living,
That fault evermore I shall see.
I stood by the grave of a loved one,
The world seemed so drear, and so cold;
No hope in my heart, and the future
No promise of peace did unfold.
I had a belief in my girlhood,
Essential it seemed unto me;
But now my belief seems a phantom;
From bigotry now I am free.
Alas for the hopes of our childhood;
They blossom, then wither and die,
Are buried full deep in Love’s coffin;
The grave is so cold where they lie.
We cherish our hopes for a moment,
A will-o’-the-wisp they oft are,
Dark phantoms eluding us ever,
And often our lives they will mar.
I seek for the truths, and truth only.
All error henceforth I decry,
And hid in the grave of oblivion
Full deep in that grave must e’er lie.