[Editor: This poem by William Blocksidge (also known as William Baylebridge) was published in Songs o’ the South (1908).]
Twilight
Twilight, time of mystery,
Roving Fancy finds in thee
Such a friend as few may know —
When the night with day contends,
When the magic shadow lends
Life to fill her puppet-show!
Here, as in the dusk I dream,
Strange the scenes and actors seem
That before my vision move —
Rich the page of fabled lore,
Filled with love, and hate, and gore
Lightly spilled vain hopes to prove.
Now doth Fancy, deep or gay,
Lead my wand’ring thoughts away
Down the avenues of time;
Plucking here a flowery tale,
Hearing there a nation’s wail,
Showing every age and clime.
Every decade hasting by
Seems to drop a tear, and sigh,
For the myths that might have been;
Scorning what themselves can show,
Longing for the long ago,
Leaving facts too closely seen.
Still, how full the fond delights
Prompting Fancy’s proselytes
From the present far to roam!
Thus my thoughts now scorn to be
Buried in the cemetery
Of a mind that mopes at home.
When the sun unclouded sets,
Then, so bright his fiery nets,
None his glory can descry;
But, when darkened clouds enfold,
How their edges, turned to gold,
Captivate the gazing eye!
Thus it is when ages spread
Round about their living dead
Clouds of magic mystery;
Then our eager thoughts embrace
Things the other side of space —
Time’s abundant progeny.
When the night with day contends,
When the magic shadow lends
Life to fill her puppet-show,
Twilight, time of mystery,
Roving Fancy finds in thee
Such a friend as few may know!
Source:
William Blocksidge, Songs o’ the South, London: Watts, 1908, pp. 17-18
Editor’s notes:
clime = a place, region, or foreign land, particularly referred to with regard to its climate (usually used in the plural, e.g. “cooler climes”, “hot climes”, “lovely climes”, “Northern climes”, “other climes”, “Southern climes”, “sunny climes”, “warmer climes”)
descry = to see something, especially something difficult to detect (e.g. they descried a small scar on his body)
doth = (archaic) does
gay = happy, joyous, carefree (may also mean well-decorated, bright, attractive) (in modern times it may especially refer to a homosexual, especially a male homosexual; may also refer to something which is no good, pathetic, useless)
hasting = being in haste, moving in haste; hastening
proselyte = someone who has converted from one religion, party, cause, or belief system to another; a convert
thee = (archaic) you
wand’ring = (vernacular) wandering
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