An Irish Poet - Thomas Moore

Did I tell you I am Irish? Or maybe you guessed when I referenced being related to the great fighter Bob Fitzsimmons. Although his family moved about and I don’t recall that he was actually born in Ireland.

At Writely Applied I’ve been celebrating the 200th Birthday of Poe. It started off with a month of Poe topics in January and then to honor him for the remainder of the year, the 19th of each month is set aside for a Poe Post. This month we featured a POEm, “Evening Star” by Edgar Allan Poe that was influenced by Thomas Moore’s “While Gazing on the Moon’s Light.

Being a lover of poetry I pulled out an old edition of the works of Thomas Moore (another library sale…going way back). I came across the poem, “I Saw From the Beach” and thought if way too lovely to hide in the book so I’m sharing with you.

I Saw From the Beach
Thomas Moore

I saw from the beach, when the morning was shining,
A bark o'er the waters move gloriously on;
I came when the sun o'er that beach was declining --
The bark was still there, but the waters were gone!

And such is the fate of life's early promise,
So passing the spring-tide of joy we have known:
Each wave that we danc'd on at morning, ebbs from us,
And leaves us, at eve, on the bleak shore alone!

Ne'er tell me of glories serenely adorning
The close of our day, the calm eve of our night;
Give me back, give me back the wild freshness of Morning,
Her clouds and her tears are worth Evening's best light.

Oh, who would not welcome that moment's returning,
When passion first wak'd a new life through his frame;
And his soul, like the wood that grows precious in burning,
Gave out all its sweets to love's exquisite flame!