Thou Hast Wounded the Spirit that Loved Thee- Mrs. Porter 1846
[Commodore David Porter's wife is the author of this love song. It was published, by "A Lady" by Frederick D. Benteen, Baltimore, 1846.
R. Matteson 2014]
Thou Hast Wounded the Spirit that Loved Thee
Thou hast wounded the spirit that loved thee,
And cherished thine image for years;
Thou hast taught me at last to forget thee,
In secret, in silence and tears.
As the young bird when left by its mother,
Its earliest pinions to try,
'Round the nest will still lingering hover,
Ere its trembling wings can fly.
[Repeat last four lines as a chorus]
Thus we're taught in this cold world to smother,
Each feeling that once was so dear;
Like the young bird I'll seek to discover
A home of affection elsewhere.
Tho' this heart may still cling to thee fondly,
And dream of sweet memories past,
Yet hope, like the rainbow of summer,
Gives a promise of Lethe at last.