Panama and Other Poems Narrative and Occasional :: :: University of Virginia Library

To-night, this very night, thou'lt have me go,
And see the mighty deep is bright and whist!
O visitor divine from heavenly spaces,
Come down to me, a star out of the stars!
Thou hast a charm, such as no mortal hath;
For we have many in Greece, comely and tall,
They take my eye a moment and are past.
But thou hast made me suffer, so I love thee;
Strange! for too well I know thou lov'st me not,
Though I have often feigned that in some look
Or casual word of thine some meaning lay,
And bent it this and that way in the night,
Straining at hollow solace in the dark.
Thou art too far above my fate to care,
And well I know that I in following thee,
Follow a shadow and no man, for thou
Hast nothing in thee of faith and steadfastness;
And yet but lift thy finger and I follow.

Now that the moment's come, Sparta is sweet.
Belovèd hills and places where I played,
A child with children ere I learned to love.
And he, my husband Menelaus, he
Was ever kind and full of cherishing
Though thou hast lightly laughed him from my soul.
But Paris, though we go, I have a fear
That we are rousing the dread gods to strife.
Last night there was a flame upon the heaven,
As of some City into ashes turned,
But let the world reel on unto its doom,
Say'st thou but “Come,” I come to the earth's end.