| Alfred H. Miles, ed. Women Poets of the Nineteenth Century. 1907. | | | Twilight Hours.
VIII. Growth | | By Sarah Williams (“Sadie”) (1841–1868) |
| | (From “Responses”)
A LONELY rock uprose above the sea, | |
| The coral insects fretting at its base; | |
| And no man came unto its loneliness, | |
| The very storm-birds shunned its evil case. | |
| Only the ocean beat upon its breast, | 5 |
| Only the ocean gave it close embrace. | |
| |
| An island was upheaved towards the skies, | |
| A central fire within its heart had burst; | |
| The rock became a mountain, stern and strong, | |
| Only the desolation shewed at first; | 10 |
| A stray bird dropped a seed that fructified, | |
| No longer reigned the barrenness accursed. | |
| |
| A little world stood out among the seas, | |
| With singing brooks and many a fragrant wood, | |
| Where lovers heard again their story sweet, | 15 |
| And truth grew fair, more fully understood. | |
| The tender flowers o’ergrew the chasms deep, | |
| And God looked down, and saw that it was good. | | | | |
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