“IT may be in the evening, | |
| When the work of the day is done, | |
| And you have time to sit in the twilight | |
| And watch the sinking sun, | |
| While the long bright day dies slowly | 5 |
| Over the sea, | |
| And the hour grows quiet and holy | |
| With thoughts of me; | |
| While you hear the village children | |
| Passing along the street, | 10 |
| Among those thronging footsteps | |
| May come the sound of my feet. | |
| Therefore I tell you: Watch | |
| By the light of the evening star, | |
| When the room is growing dusky | 15 |
| As the clouds afar; | |
| Let the door be on the latch | |
| In your home, | |
| For it may be through the gloaming | |
| I will come. | 20 |
| |
| “It may be when the midnight | |
| Is heavy upon the land, | |
| And the black waves lying dumbly | |
| Along the sand; | |
| When the moonless night draws close, | 25 |
| And the lights are out in the house; | |
| When the fires burn low and red, | |
| And the watch is ticking loudly | |
| Beside the bed: | |
| Though you sleep, tired out, on your couch, | 30 |
| Still your heart must wake and watch | |
| In the dark room, | |
| For it may be that at midnight | |
| I will come. | |
| |
| “It may be at the cock-crow, | 35 |
| When the night is dying slowly | |
| In the sky, | |
| And the sea looks calm and holy, | |
| Waiting for the dawn | |
| Of the golden sun | 40 |
| Which draweth nigh; | |
| When the mists are on the valleys, shading | |
| The rivers chill, | |
| And my morning-star is fading, fading | |
| Over the hill: | 45 |
| Behold I say unto you: Watch; | |
| Let the door be on the latch | |
| In your home; | |
| In the chill before the dawning, | |
| Between the night and morning, | 50 |
| I may come. | |
| |
| “It may be in the morning, | |
| When the sun is bright and strong, | |
| And the dew is glittering sharply | |
| Over the little lawn; | 55 |
| When the waves are laughing loudly | |
| Along the shore, | |
| And the little birds are singing sweetly | |
| About the door; | |
| With the long day’s work before you, | 60 |
| You rise up with the sun, | |
| And the neighbors come in to talk a little | |
| Of all that must be done. | |
| But remember that I may be the next | |
| To come in at the door, | 65 |
| To call you from all your busy work | |
| Forevermore: | |
| As you work your heart must watch, | |
| For the door is on the latch | |
| In your room, | 70 |
| And it may be in the morning | |
| I will come.” | |
| |
| So He passed down my cottage garden, | |
| By the path that leads to the sea, | |
| Till he came to the turn of the little road | 75 |
| Where the birch and laburnum tree | |
| Lean over and arch the way; | |
| There I saw him a moment stay, | |
| And turn once more to me, | |
| As I wept at the cottage door, | 80 |
| And lift up his hands in blessing— | |
| Then I saw his face no more. | |
| |
| And I stood still in the doorway, | |
| Leaning against the wall, | |
| Not heeding the fair white roses, | 85 |
| Though I crushed them and let them fall. | |
| Only looking down the pathway, | |
| And looking toward the sea, | |
| And wondering, and wondering | |
| When he would come back for me; | 90 |
| Till I was aware of an angel | |
| Who was going swiftly by, | |
| With the gladness of one who goeth | |
| In the light of God Most High. | |
| |
| He passed the end of the cottage | 95 |
| Toward the garden gate; | |
| (I suppose he was come down | |
| At the setting of the sun | |
| To comfort some one in the village | |
| Whose dwelling was desolate) | 100 |
| And he paused before the door | |
| Beside my place, | |
| And the likeness of a smile | |
| Was on his face. | |
| “Weep not,” he said, “for unto you is given | 105 |
| To watch for the coming of his feet | |
| Who is the glory of our blessèd heaven; | |
| The work and watching will be very sweet, | |
| Even in an earthly home; | |
| And in such an hour as you think not | 110 |
| He will come.” | |
| |
| So I am watching quietly | |
| Every day. | |
| Whenever the sun shines brightly, | |
| I rise and say: | 115 |
| “Surely it is the shining of his face!” | |
| And look unto the gates of his high place | |
| Beyond the sea; | |
| For I know he is coming shortly | |
| To summon me. | 120 |
| And when a shadow falls across the window | |
| Of my room, | |
| Where I am working my appointed task, | |
| I lift my head to watch the door, and ask | |
| If he is come; | 125 |
| And the angel answers sweetly | |
| In my home: | |
| “Only a few more shadows, | |
| And he will come.” | |
| |
