The Complete Poems of Christina Rossetti :: :: University of Virginia Library

Daughter for Mother,
Sister for Brother,
Till each dear face appear
Transfigured by Love's flame
Yet still the same,—
The same yet new,—
My face to you,
Your face to me,
Made lovelier by Love's flame
But still the same;
Most dear to see
In halo of Love's flame,
Because the same.

1878.

Blessed Dear & heart's Delight,
Companion, Friend, & Mother mine
Round whom my fears & love entwine,—
With whom I hope to stand & sing
Where Angels form the outer ring
Round singing Saints who, clad in white,
Know no more of day or night
Or death or any changeful thing,
Or anything that is not love,
Human love & love Divine,—
Bid me to that tryst above,
Bless your Valentine.

1879.

Mother mine
Whom every year
Doth endear,
Before sweet Spring
(That sweetest thing
Brimfull of bliss)

316

Sets all the throng
Of birds a-wooing
Billing & cooing,—
Your Valentine
Sings you a song,
Gives you a kiss.

1880.

More shower than shine
Brings sweet St. Valentine;
Warm shine, warm shower,
Bring up sweet flower on flower:
Thro' shower & shine
Loves you your Valentine,
Thro' shine, thro' shower,
Thro' summer's flush, thro' Autumn's fading hour.

St. Valentine's Day 1881.

Too cold almost for hope of Spring
Or firstfruits from the realm of flowers,
Your dauntless Valentine, I bring
One sprig of love, and sing
“Love has no Winter hours”.—

If even in this world love is love
(This wintry world which felt the Fall),
What must it be in Heaven above
Where love to great and small
Is all in all?

317

A Valentine 1882.

My blessed Mother dozing in her chair
On Christmas Day seemed an embodied Love,
A comfortable Love with soft brown hair
Softened and silvered to a tint of dove,
A better sort of Venus with an air
Angelical from thoughts that dwell above,
A wiser Pallas in whose body fair
Enshrined a blessed soul looks out thereof.
Winter brought Holly then; now Spring has brought
Paler and frailer Snowdrops shivering;
And I have brought a simple humble thought
—I her devoted duteous Valentine—,
A lifelong thought which thrills this song I sing,
A lifelong love to this dear Saint of mine.

February 14. 1883.

A world of change & loss, a world of death,
Of heart & eyes that fail, of labouring breath,
Of pains to bear & painful deeds to do:—
Nevertheless a world of life to come
And love; where you're at home, while in our home
Your Valentine rejoices having you.

1884.

Another year of joy & grief,
Another year of hope & fear:
O Mother, is life long or brief?
We hasten while we linger here.

But since we linger, love me still
And bless me still, O Mother mine,
While hand in hand we scale life's hill,
You Guide, & I your Valentine.

318

1885. St. Valentine's Day.

All the Robin Redbreasts
Have lived the winter thro',
Jenny Wrens have pecked their fill
And found a work to do,
Families of Sparrows
Have weathered wind & storm
With Rabbit on the stony hill
And Hare upon her form.

You & I, my Mother,
Have lived the winter thro',
And still we play our daily parts
And still find work to do:
And still the cornfields flourish,
The olive & the vine,
And still you reign my Queen of Hearts
And I'm your Valentine.

1886 St. Valentine's Day.

Winter's latest snowflake is the snowdrop flower,
Yellow crocus kindles the first flame of the Spring,
At that time appointed, at that day and hour
When life reawakens and hope in everything.
Such a tender snowflake in the wintry weather,
Such a feeble flamelet for chilled St. Valentine,—
But blest be any weather which finds us still together,
My pleasure and my treasure O blessed Mother mine.