 | Leaves of life |  |
154
LOVE'S ECONOMY.
Love filled my cup with tears and wine;
I drank the mingled draught divine—
Glad to the soul that it was mine.
I drank the mingled draught divine—
Glad to the soul that it was mine.
Love crowned my head with thorn and rose;
Such wreaths of rose no thorns disclose;
Only the happy wearer knows.
Such wreaths of rose no thorns disclose;
Only the happy wearer knows.
Love gave me ashes, gave me bread,
Fed on the soul that on it fed,
And kissed my heart until it bled.
Fed on the soul that on it fed,
And kissed my heart until it bled.
Love gave me sunlight, gave me rain,
Love taught me pleasure, brought me pain,
And scourged my soul with loss and gain.
Love taught me pleasure, brought me pain,
And scourged my soul with loss and gain.
Yet did the gain so far outweigh
The infinite loss, that till to-day
I never wished my pain away.
The infinite loss, that till to-day
I never wished my pain away.
155
Because I thought that you, at least,
Wore only roses at our feast,
And heard a song that never ceased.
Wore only roses at our feast,
And heard a song that never ceased.
But now I know that you, as I,
Hear knells in all our revelry,
And, not for passion only, sigh;
Hear knells in all our revelry,
And, not for passion only, sigh;
That you, too, bear a heavy cross,
And sway 'twixt sense of gain and loss,
And, rent by tempests, turn and toss.
And sway 'twixt sense of gain and loss,
And, rent by tempests, turn and toss.
I know not whether, for your sake,
I would not choose this chain to break,
And—dream-bereft—meet life awake.
I would not choose this chain to break,
And—dream-bereft—meet life awake.
And you—what would you choose? Who knows?
Since each one to the other shows
Only the wine—the smile—the rose.
Since each one to the other shows
Only the wine—the smile—the rose.
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