Poems (Curwen)/What lies beyond
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What Lies Beyond?
What lies beyond?—beyond the confines of this earthly sphere,
Beyond the silence of those outer gates which men call Death, and fear.
O, there are wondrous sights and sounds, could mortals see and hear.
Beyond the silence of those outer gates which men call Death, and fear.
O, there are wondrous sights and sounds, could mortals see and hear.
What lies beyond?—beyond the shadows of the "Silent Sea"
That flows to that unfathomable bourne we call Eternity;
The soundless deep, which all must cross, abounds with mystery.
That flows to that unfathomable bourne we call Eternity;
The soundless deep, which all must cross, abounds with mystery.
What lies beyond?—beyond the silver stars, whose lustrous light
Makes luminous the chill dark hours of earth's long dreary night.
Vainly we question. Who can wring the secret from the Infinite?
Makes luminous the chill dark hours of earth's long dreary night.
Vainly we question. Who can wring the secret from the Infinite?
What lies beyond? Still rings the questioning cry above the tomb.
We strain our eyes in vain attempts to pierce the valley's gloom;
And cry for light, as frighted children do, when left in darkened room.
We strain our eyes in vain attempts to pierce the valley's gloom;
And cry for light, as frighted children do, when left in darkened room.
O, doubting heart, there is a life beyond this world of care—
A higher, holier, glorious life, which all blest souls shall share,
When death shall ope the golden gate dividing here from there.
A higher, holier, glorious life, which all blest souls shall share,
When death shall ope the golden gate dividing here from there.
For death, methinks, is just the travail hour when the soul's born.
The blest, emerging from the womb of clay, enter on life's fair morn;
But soul's unblest are ushered in Eternity—still-born.
The blest, emerging from the womb of clay, enter on life's fair morn;
But soul's unblest are ushered in Eternity—still-born.