Beyond

Ella Wheeler Wilcox 1855 (Janesville) – 1919



It seemeth such a little way to me
 Across to that strange country – the Beyond;
And yet, not strange, for it has grown to be
 The home of those whom I am so fond,
They make it seem familiar and most dear,
As journeying friends bring distant regions near.

So close it lies, that when my sight is clear
 I think I almost see the gleaming strand.
I know I feel those who have gone from here
 Come near enough sometimes, to touch my hand.
I often think, but for our veiled eyes,
We should find heaven right round about us lies.

I cannot make it seem a day to dread,
 When from this dear earth I shall journey out
To that still dear country of the dead,
 And join the lost ones, so long dreamed about.
I love this world, yet shall I love to go
And meet the friends who wait for me, I know.

I never stand above a bier and see
 The seal of death set on some well-loved face
But that I think ‘One more to welcome me,
 When I shall cross the intervening space
Between this land and that one “over there”;
One more to make the strange Beyond seem fair.’

And so for me there is no sting to death,
 And so the grave has lost its victory.
It is but crossing – with a bated breath,
 And white, set face – a little strip of sea,
To find the loved ones waiting on the shore,
More beautiful, more precious than before.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:18 min read
94

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABABCC CDXDEE FGFGHH AIAIJJ KAKALL
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 1,307
Words 263
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 6, 6, 6, 6, 6

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Ella Wheeler Wilcox was an American author and poet. more…

All Ella Wheeler Wilcox poems | Ella Wheeler Wilcox Books

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