 | The Marriage Before Death, And Other Poems |  |
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TO HELEN.
THE FRAGRANT NIGHT.
Some “perfumed night” of summer shall be ours
If not on earth, then in the spirit-land;
Lo! I shall take thee, smiling, by the hand,
And draw thee towards love's soft eternal bowers.
Before us great white heavenly buds expand,
Not dashed and splashed by earthly thunder-showers—
A meeting waits us which no parting sours—
A haven, far beyond life's desert-sand.
If not on earth, then in the spirit-land;
Lo! I shall take thee, smiling, by the hand,
And draw thee towards love's soft eternal bowers.
Before us great white heavenly buds expand,
Not dashed and splashed by earthly thunder-showers—
A meeting waits us which no parting sours—
A haven, far beyond life's desert-sand.
Oh, grand the calm pure heavenly blossoms there,
And glad their fragrance, and divine the air,
And tender the mute yearning in our eyes:
O queen of all my deep and passionate heart,
In that soft bower we meet no more to part,
Joined utterly beneath the starry skies.
And glad their fragrance, and divine the air,
And tender the mute yearning in our eyes:
O queen of all my deep and passionate heart,
In that soft bower we meet no more to part,
Joined utterly beneath the starry skies.
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HAVING OUTLIVED, OUTSUFFERED.
Having outlived, outsuffered, all the rest,
We two shall mark the small loves fade away,
Hidden in the sunlight of our perfect day;
Yea, we shall mount upon the last wave-crest
Of life into some region wholly blest,
And meet with gaze unflinching Love's full ray;
Oh, tarry for me, love—believe, obey—
Joy waits us such as dreamer hath not guessed!
We two shall mark the small loves fade away,
Hidden in the sunlight of our perfect day;
Yea, we shall mount upon the last wave-crest
Of life into some region wholly blest,
And meet with gaze unflinching Love's full ray;
Oh, tarry for me, love—believe, obey—
Joy waits us such as dreamer hath not guessed!
Tarry for me beside life's weary sea,
Beside the breakers, by the craving foam—
This earth is not our rest, it is no home.
Lo! in the end, sweet, I will come to thee,
And thou no more from my true arms shalt roam:
Then dawns the eternal spirit-ecstasy.
Beside the breakers, by the craving foam—
This earth is not our rest, it is no home.
Lo! in the end, sweet, I will come to thee,
And thou no more from my true arms shalt roam:
Then dawns the eternal spirit-ecstasy.
OH, SEA!
“Oh, sea” that flowed anear our passionate love
Once, when that passionate love did blossom sweetly—
Yea, when the passion-rosebud bloomed completely—
“Sea,” whose dear waves our very hearts did move,
We bid thee, when our passion blooms above,
Welcome to our triumphant bridal feast—
Sea, thou shalt be our white-robed splendid priest,
Our spirit of blessing,—thee we are certain of!
Once, when that passionate love did blossom sweetly—
Yea, when the passion-rosebud bloomed completely—
“Sea,” whose dear waves our very hearts did move,
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Welcome to our triumphant bridal feast—
Sea, thou shalt be our white-robed splendid priest,
Our spirit of blessing,—thee we are certain of!
Oh faithful and attendant groomsman, Sea—
Groomsman and priest and bridesmaid all in one,
Be thou a guest at our glad marriage—Sun,
The wedding feast doth also wait for thee;
And, moon and stars, no meet robe can be spun
Without your help—respond ye speedily!
Groomsman and priest and bridesmaid all in one,
Be thou a guest at our glad marriage—Sun,
The wedding feast doth also wait for thee;
And, moon and stars, no meet robe can be spun
Without your help—respond ye speedily!
STIR NOT.
Stir not—nay lie thou still within my arms;
Set thou thy lips on mine—now never more
Let the great rising sun-flame gild the shore.
Dear, let us die—cold life it is that harms
And hinders love—oh, would that life were o'er!
Lie still now, sweet one—let the long night last
For ever! let us dream that life is past,
Stoop lips, and kiss death's breakers as they roar!
Set thou thy lips on mine—now never more
Let the great rising sun-flame gild the shore.
Dear, let us die—cold life it is that harms
And hinders love—oh, would that life were o'er!
Lie still now, sweet one—let the long night last
For ever! let us dream that life is past,
Stoop lips, and kiss death's breakers as they roar!
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Oh, let us dream it is eternal night,
Yea, “never the cold daylight any more!”
Never the sad reproachful mocking light—
Cling now to mine, sweet lips, cling as before;
Let love enrobe us with his golden might,
And tender darkness round our bodies pour.
Yea, “never the cold daylight any more!”
Never the sad reproachful mocking light—
Cling now to mine, sweet lips, cling as before;
Let love enrobe us with his golden might,
And tender darkness round our bodies pour.
AFTER THE DAY.
Pain through the long day lords it o'er our souls,
But when the sweet night comes, my voice brings back
The passion that all day about thy track
So gently hovered—in the love-wave rolls.
Through all our daily toil the thought of love
Is underneath, around us and above—
But in the night it is a present flower,
Great, burning, awful—glowing with new power
But when the sweet night comes, my voice brings back
The passion that all day about thy track
So gently hovered—in the love-wave rolls.
Through all our daily toil the thought of love
Is underneath, around us and above—
But in the night it is a present flower,
Great, burning, awful—glowing with new power
Oh wander, if thou pleasest, in the day
Far as thou canst—unfettered, flit away
Like some bright butterfly above the foam!
At night, when thou dost mark the land afar,
And heaven one sheet of blackness with no star,
My love shall be thy ship of rest, thy home!
Far as thou canst—unfettered, flit away
Like some bright butterfly above the foam!
At night, when thou dost mark the land afar,
And heaven one sheet of blackness with no star,
My love shall be thy ship of rest, thy home!
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CALM.
I'll give thee calm, sweet, not swift passion only.
Oh, we have sailed through passion-storms together,
And faced intrepid, the black boisterous weather,
And, sometimes, one has left the other lonely,
Sad, silent, for a season—but these things
Shall pass—I'll lift thee towards a clearer air,
I'll bring thee summer on love's fervid wings,
The tree of love its red-ripe fruit shall bear.
Oh, we have sailed through passion-storms together,
And faced intrepid, the black boisterous weather,
And, sometimes, one has left the other lonely,
Sad, silent, for a season—but these things
Shall pass—I'll lift thee towards a clearer air,
I'll bring thee summer on love's fervid wings,
The tree of love its red-ripe fruit shall bear.
All storms of wayward perilous passion o'er,
Thou shalt inhale the tender summer breeze
Of love, and rest, secure, upon the shore
We seek, wherover bend heaven's restful trees—
Love shall excel, in quiet, evermore,
The calm of midnight on Pacific seas.
Thou shalt inhale the tender summer breeze
Of love, and rest, secure, upon the shore
We seek, wherover bend heaven's restful trees—
Love shall excel, in quiet, evermore,
The calm of midnight on Pacific seas.
ALONE TOGETHER.
Though friends surround us, or a noisy crowd,
Unsympathising faces, alien minds,
Enemies perhaps, or voices harsh and loud,
Souls wherein no response our spirit finds,
Yet in a moment we can draw the shroud
Of golden love about us and, alone,
Mount to our tranquil solitary throne—
Pass in a moment into passion's cloud.
Unsympathising faces, alien minds,
Enemies perhaps, or voices harsh and loud,
Souls wherein no response our spirit finds,
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Of golden love about us and, alone,
Mount to our tranquil solitary throne—
Pass in a moment into passion's cloud.
There are we sweetly hidden and encased—
As if we stood beside some southern sea
Alone, while at our feet blue wavelets chased
Each other, laughing in their untamed glee—
Thine eyes on mine, my arm about thy waist,
With one bird singing from the nearest tree.
As if we stood beside some southern sea
Alone, while at our feet blue wavelets chased
Each other, laughing in their untamed glee—
Thine eyes on mine, my arm about thy waist,
With one bird singing from the nearest tree.
STILL THERE.
The holy day will come when thou no more
Shalt wander from me—when our sweet love-sun
Shines upon labour finished, duty done—
When, joined at last, our souls shall upward soar.
Upon eternal lite's untrodden shore
We two shall stand—not two indeed, but one
Pure white-winged spirit—lovely, seen of none
Save God and love; crowned conquerors after war.
Shalt wander from me—when our sweet love-sun
Shines upon labour finished, duty done—
When, joined at last, our souls shall upward soar.
Upon eternal lite's untrodden shore
We two shall stand—not two indeed, but one
Pure white-winged spirit—lovely, seen of none
Save God and love; crowned conquerors after war.
Thou shalt not leave me then—thine eyes shall meet
Mine fully, freely, gladly—thou shalt be
My wife-rose in the utmost heavens, sweet,
The sacred and completing half of me;
As I glance up then, thou shalt not retreat,
Still there, and there—and there eternally.
Mine fully, freely, gladly—thou shalt be
My wife-rose in the utmost heavens, sweet,
The sacred and completing half of me;
As I glance up then, thou shalt not retreat,
Still there, and there—and there eternally.
| The Marriage Before Death, And Other Poems | |