XXVIII. 'The insurgent sea sweeps through the barrier' Poem by Robert Silliman Hillyer

The insurgent sea sweeps through the barrier
Triumphant, all its foaming strength amassed
In one tempestuous tide, wallowing past
The broken banks and the worn dykes that were
Upbuilt by coward hearts; sated at last
It settles in calm pools about the bar,
So that at twilight the young evening star
Beholds its image in still waters cast.

Against unyielding shores I too have striven,
And won at last like the uprising sea,
And sink to rest beneath a quiet heaven,
After long struggles, a long victory;
But my star vanishes, its light withdrawn,
And darkness falls unpromising of dawn.