II.
PREVENTION.
1.
Thou dartest the soul-laden light
Of thine emu-eyes, unpeer'd,
Upward to mine, as to invite
Answer coveted, but fear'd:
And the nectar in the flower
Hath not that alluring power
For the hived mechanic bee,
As for me
Of thy lips the honied dower,
Where, like a red flag on a tower,
Passion triumphs sanguinely.
2.
But other eyes are coldly near;
The charm ineffable is broken:
From my entranced eyes gather, Dear!
What else were done, what else were spoken:
The holy kiss which others see
Is but a barren kiss to me.
