 | Plays and poems |  |
358
[Yes, I loved her! Bear me witness]
Yes, I loved her! Bear me witness,
Heaven, and sea, and mother earth,
How I felt my own unfitness,
Matched with her transcendent worth!
How I bent my forehead meekly,
Saying, “I am heart-sick, weakly,
Jaded, worn with many trials,—
Cursed, unto the last extreme,
With the seven deadly vials!”—
In a dream.
Heaven, and sea, and mother earth,
How I felt my own unfitness,
Matched with her transcendent worth!
How I bent my forehead meekly,
Saying, “I am heart-sick, weakly,
Jaded, worn with many trials,—
Cursed, unto the last extreme,
With the seven deadly vials!”—
In a dream.
But, behold, the gentle maiden
Touched me lightly with her hand;
Saying, “Rise, thou sorrow-laden
Man of many griefs, and stand!
For I love thee with my youthful
Spirit warm, and pure, and truthful:
Upward, to me, I beseech thee!
Or, forgetting self-esteem,
I will downward plunge to reach thee!”—
In a dream.
Touched me lightly with her hand;
Saying, “Rise, thou sorrow-laden
Man of many griefs, and stand!
For I love thee with my youthful
Spirit warm, and pure, and truthful:
Upward, to me, I beseech thee!
Or, forgetting self-esteem,
I will downward plunge to reach thee!”—
In a dream.
It has faded from my vision;
And again I stand alone,
Thrust beyond the gates elysian,
Listening to my exiled moan.
Hearing her sweet accents never—
Love, joy, hope, all gone together;
But the pang will ne'er be banished
Of that bright delusive gleam,
Which has left its sting, and vanished
In a dream.
And again I stand alone,
Thrust beyond the gates elysian,
Listening to my exiled moan.
359
Love, joy, hope, all gone together;
But the pang will ne'er be banished
Of that bright delusive gleam,
Which has left its sting, and vanished
In a dream.
| Plays and poems | |