The Poetical Works of Elizabeth Margaret Chandler/A New Year's Greeting

A New Year's Greeting
TO A CIRCLE OF FRIENDS.

A kindly greeting to you all— To all an opening year of gladness; May never sorrow round you fall More dark than evening's twilight sadness.

The wintry blast may whistle shrill, And clouds may dim the face of heaven; But Friendship's wreath shall blossom still, On this our gladsome New-Year's even.

While lips and hearts are smiling thus, And hands are fondly clasp'd together, Oh what are cloudy skies to us, Or fortune's bright or sunny weather?

We may not meet, to hail again Another year with hearts of lightness; Some beating pulse may rest ere then, Some eye have lost its wonted brightness.

We may have met, perchance—alas! To mingle hearts and then be parted; Or some dark blight may o'er us pass, And leave us lone and broken-hearted.

But let the future smile, or frown, The wing of hope is waving o'er us; One gem of bliss is still our own, And one bright rose of joy before us.

Then may the rose be cherish'd well— The sparkling gem be sullied never— And parted Friendship's only knell, Be when our hearts are still'd forever.