The Nearing Goal

The dull skies dripping in the morning rain

Cannot obscure the beauty of the trees,

The freshly crowned magnolia's crimson stain

Or flush of white, like stars on darkened seas,

And green that covers the renascent earth.

The cherry tree in airy clouds appears

And daffodils beyond all reckoned worth

Rejoice and bloom unmindful of the years

That fleeting pass or mortal brevity.

The splendour of the seasons holds my soul;

Beyond my window's pearlescent drops I see

Through fog and mist and death the nearing goal.