 | My Lyrical Life |  |
57
THE WEDDING.
All Women love a Wedding! old
Or youthful; Mother, Widow, or Wife:
It lights with precious gleam of gold
The river of poorest life:
Or youthful; Mother, Widow, or Wife:
It lights with precious gleam of gold
The river of poorest life:
For one, the gold is far and dim;
For one, a glimpse of things to be;
But here it sparkles, at the brim
Of full felicity!
For one, a glimpse of things to be;
But here it sparkles, at the brim
Of full felicity!
And they will cluster by the way;
Crowd at this Eden-gate, with eyes
That run, and pray that this Pair may
Keep their new Paradise.
Crowd at this Eden-gate, with eyes
That run, and pray that this Pair may
Keep their new Paradise.
Green is the garden, as at first;
As smiling-blue the happy skies,
Where float the bubble-worlds that burst,
And leave us smarting eyes.
As smiling-blue the happy skies,
Where float the bubble-worlds that burst,
And leave us smarting eyes.
They seem to think that these must clasp
The jewel turned to dew or mist:
The glamour they could never grasp,
Though wedded lips have kissed;
The jewel turned to dew or mist:
The glamour they could never grasp,
Though wedded lips have kissed;
That this gold Apple of promise, crowned
With redness on the sunny side,
Will gradually grow ripe all round;
That this new Lover and Bride
With redness on the sunny side,
Will gradually grow ripe all round;
That this new Lover and Bride
58
Must reach the breathing Magic Rose
Such cunning spirits hold in air,
On which our fingers could not close,
Even when we knew 'twas there!
Such cunning spirits hold in air,
On which our fingers could not close,
Even when we knew 'twas there!
This nest of hopes will bring forth young
Unto the brooding heart's low call—
Not merely pretty birds'-eggs, strung
To hide a naked wall!
Unto the brooding heart's low call—
Not merely pretty birds'-eggs, strung
To hide a naked wall!
So many start thus, hand-in-hand—
Few only reach the blessed goal;
But these shall surely see the land
Hid somewhere in the soul.
Few only reach the blessed goal;
But these shall surely see the land
Hid somewhere in the soul.
And delicate airs creep sweetly through
Old bridal-chambers dusty and dim:
Down from a far heaven warm and blue,
The mellow splendours swim.
Old bridal-chambers dusty and dim:
Down from a far heaven warm and blue,
The mellow splendours swim.
The Woman's eyes grow loving wet;
They dazzle with the morning ray:
The Woman's longing will beget
Her own dear wedding-day!
They dazzle with the morning ray:
The Woman's longing will beget
Her own dear wedding-day!
In his network of wrinkles, Age
May veil their virgin beauties now;
Faces be furrowed—a strange page
Of writing on the brow:
May veil their virgin beauties now;
Faces be furrowed—a strange page
Of writing on the brow:
The smiling soul cannot erase
The sad life-lines it shines above;
Yet, imaged in the dear old face,
You see their own young love!
The sad life-lines it shines above;
Yet, imaged in the dear old face,
You see their own young love!
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The sleeping Beauty wakes anew
Beneath the drops of tender tears;
The Flower unfolds, to drink the dew,
That seemèd dead for years.
Beneath the drops of tender tears;
The Flower unfolds, to drink the dew,
That seemèd dead for years.
All hearts are as a grove of birds
Spring-touched and chirruping every one;
And each will set the Wedding-Words
To a music of her own.
Spring-touched and chirruping every one;
And each will set the Wedding-Words
To a music of her own.
Some withered remnant of old bliss
Flushing on faded cheeks they bring,
Telling of times when Love's young kiss
Was a fire-offering;
Flushing on faded cheeks they bring,
Telling of times when Love's young kiss
Was a fire-offering;
And spirits walk in white, as starts
This bridal-tint that blooms anew;
And so, with all their Woman-hearts,
They fling Good Luck's old shoe!
This bridal-tint that blooms anew;
And so, with all their Woman-hearts,
They fling Good Luck's old shoe!
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