Evening Flight

The sun appeared to linger long and low Upon the Western sea of clouds that day, And for a moment draw the soul away To sacred places only spirits know— Where from some source of beauty, seem to flow Eternal mysteries of things unseen, That somehow we can briefly glimpse between This light, and shadow world where all things go; And I felt as if my soul could be If but for that one moment, truly free!

And I dreamed deep and long, as the last light Was fading in the darkening, peaceful blue, And thought I felt a presence that I knew, As overhead there soared in Westward flight, A bird, whose wings against the sky shone bright, As if the memory of its joyous day Were living still, like light to guide the way To its home in the dark, eternal night; And I thought of the souls that I have known That into that dark, silent night have flown.

As the last wisps of cloud, like silvery hair, Hung where the sun had died, as if to mourn, One by one, it seemed that there were born The stars which soon adorned the crystalline air, Like happy souls which glimmered everywhere! And were like a glimpse of what may be In that world we can not hear or see, But even as we sleep, is always there; And I knew in that hour a soul had passed, And told my soul that it was home at last.

August, 2009

Daniel Leach is a poet living in Houston, Texas. He has spent much of his life fighting for the ideals of classical culture and poetry. His volume of poetry, compiling over 20 years of composition, is entitled "Voices on the Wind."