When the soul is o'ershadowed with gloom,
With sorrow, and sadness, and care;
When the future seems dark as the tomb,
And the present a gulf of despair;
With sorrow, and sadness, and care;
When the future seems dark as the tomb,
And the present a gulf of despair;
When life seems a desolate blight,
A burden we loathe every day;
When hope swiftly wingeth its flight,
And pleasure doth vanish away;
When the soul broods in sorrow alone,
And chides its unchangeable fate;
When the heart seems congealing to stone,
'Neath misfortune's unbearable weight —
Perchance a sweet, innocent child
Has pressed on your pale cheek a kiss,
And said, "How I love you!" and smiled
With a look of ineffable bliss.
Or perchance an affectionate wife
Has bid you hope on to the end;
Or your hand has been grasped mid the strife
In the warm-hearted clasp of a friend.
When beautiful, eloquent eyes
Look tenderly down on your own;
When hearts with your own sympathise,
And show you, you are not alone;
What a beam of ineffable light,
What a soul-thrilling, heart-cheering ray
Disperses the gloom of the night,
And turns all your darkness to day.
How it gives you new courage and hope,
And lightens your burden of care;
Gives you strength with affliction to cope,
And bids you no longer despair.
(Light in the darkness - George Heath)
