Fancy

Sea and sky arc cold and grey,
Fades the cheerless light away ;
Night and ocean, breeding sorrow.
Produce of a stormy morrow.
Separate me from the shore
Fancy can alone restore.

Yet, if Fancy serve my love.
Wave beneath nor wind above
Need affright me. Valiantly
I'll adventure in the sky.
Love upon light pinions set,
Fancy-borne to Violet.

Swift as meteor cleaves the night,
Strong as albatross in flight.
Spurning intervening space,
Fly my Fancy ! Thou shalt trace,
By the throbbing of her heart.
Where my love has counterpart.

Should her Fancy follow me.
And ye meet upon the sea.
Ask thy brother if he brings
Aught of love betwixt his wings ;
It may be he bears from her
Love-of-me as passenger.

But should'st thou, my Fancy, fail,
Should thy tired wings naught avail,
And some whirlpool of the deep
Whelm thee in abysmal sleep—
Oh 1 were Fancy fallen short.
How should Love return to port ?