 | A collection of poems by Ernest Radford |  |
19
II. PART II.
23
MIDSUMMER.
Ah! Love, I lack thy kisses
In the warm sweet breath of June;
I am lonely amid lovers—
Love, come soon.
In the warm sweet breath of June;
I am lonely amid lovers—
Love, come soon.
A blue sea stretches waveless
'Neath a blue, blue sky this June;
I am panting for thy love, Love,
Love, come soon.
'Neath a blue, blue sky this June;
I am panting for thy love, Love,
Love, come soon.
28
EVENTIDE.
The mazy path that I would tread,At nightfall by the pixies led,
It leadeth to the no-man's land
Where plighted, linkèd, lovers stand.
Lips sealing lips, in silence they
Give ear to what the heavens say:—
The Evening Star to setting Sun:
“The day has half his course to run.”
29
A LONDON IDYLL.
A toiler here in London,
Her brave face nothing shows;
The head at work, the hand at work,
The heartache comes and goes.
Her brave face nothing shows;
The head at work, the hand at work,
The heartache comes and goes.
The day's work done, the respite won,
The word for all is Rest;
Oh, where so safe the token
Of love as on her breast?
The word for all is Rest;
Oh, where so safe the token
Of love as on her breast?
Let rest until the Morrow
Its keeper, quit of care;
The face that has its setting
In coils of silken hair;
The bosom rising, falling—
Its secret hidden there.
Its keeper, quit of care;
The face that has its setting
In coils of silken hair;
The bosom rising, falling—
Its secret hidden there.
31
II. HER LETTERS.
Too sweet, too sweet, they bridge the vast'Twixt town and country, friend and friend.
Too sweet, too sweet, for overcast
By thought that thinking cannot mend.
34
LINES FOR A PAINTING.
Oh, Autumn leaves!Oh, what for wealth of auburn hair
But Autumn leaves!
See hope fulfilled in rangèd sheaves,
See in dead nature love's despair,
And truant Joy, and russet Care
In Autumn leaves.
35
LESLIE.
Seeing me enter
Crosses the floor:—
Leslie is lovely,
Sister and more.
Crosses the floor:—
Leslie is lovely,
Sister and more.
Putteth her face up
Once to be kissed;
What shall the word be?
Love-in-a-mist!
Once to be kissed;
What shall the word be?
Love-in-a-mist!
Now must she leave me,
Crossing the floor:—
Leslie is lovely,
Sister and more.
Crossing the floor:—
Leslie is lovely,
Sister and more.
Fain to be with her,
Loth to depart;
Present or absent,
Filling my heart.
Loth to depart;
Present or absent,
Filling my heart.
What should the word be,
Here by the door?
Leslie is lovely,
Sister and more.
Here by the door?
Leslie is lovely,
Sister and more.
36
TRANSLATION.
[I hide from mankind only]
I hide from mankind only
What I have borne from thee,
And toss it to the fishes, Love,
While speeding o'er the sea.
What I have borne from thee,
And toss it to the fishes, Love,
While speeding o'er the sea.
Upon the mainland only
Has Gossip spared thy name.
What do the waves but spread, Love,
The story of thy shame?
Has Gossip spared thy name.
What do the waves but spread, Love,
The story of thy shame?
41
THE POET'S LEGACY.
“Through busiest street and loneliest glen
Are felt the flashes of his pen;
Deep in the general heart of men
His power survives.”
(Wordsworth on Burns.)
Are felt the flashes of his pen;
Deep in the general heart of men
His power survives.”
(Wordsworth on Burns.)
Beloved and loving stood we two,
Remote, unseen, unheard;
The seal that lovers use was set
On the unspoken word;
Remote, unseen, unheard;
The seal that lovers use was set
On the unspoken word;
And in the silence Time maintained
While two hearts beat as one
Was proof sufficient, failing speech,
That he was loved or none.
While two hearts beat as one
Was proof sufficient, failing speech,
That he was loved or none.
“To-morrow then—to-morrow then—
Meet we again,” said he.
The path I trod that evening
Seemed, oh, so strange to me!
Meet we again,” said he.
The path I trod that evening
Seemed, oh, so strange to me!
My heart was beating, beating,
Of I know not what afraid,
Beneath the silent stars I fell
Upon my knees, and prayed:—
Of I know not what afraid,
Beneath the silent stars I fell
Upon my knees, and prayed:—
“Oh! thou thrice blessed, bride of God,
To whom the Christ was born;
Thou who throughout the ages past
The woman's crown hast worn—
To whom the Christ was born;
Thou who throughout the ages past
The woman's crown hast worn—
42
The peaceful inward sense that has
Its dwelling in thy frame;
If that be love, what bodeth this?
Oh, what should be its name?”
Its dwelling in thy frame;
If that be love, what bodeth this?
Oh, what should be its name?”
Then spake in pity she who has
The niche beside the road:—
“If love of equal worth has been,
My child, on thee bestowed,
The niche beside the road:—
“If love of equal worth has been,
My child, on thee bestowed,
Thou too art blessèd; she who speaks
Has lived, and loved, and prayed.”
Then lips with kisses burning were
On feet of marble laid.
Has lived, and loved, and prayed.”
Then lips with kisses burning were
On feet of marble laid.
Oh, that was life! The image now
That he is dead and gone,
Would have me read the riddle
Of the river speeding on.
That he is dead and gone,
Would have me read the riddle
Of the river speeding on.
'Tis not the dead, the living,
That this, ah! this, must bear;
Too late to be forgiving,
Too soon to join him there.
That this, ah! this, must bear;
Too late to be forgiving,
Too soon to join him there.
“More sinned against than sinning”—
“No fault of his the pain”—
“The poet's guerdon winning”—
While tears fall like rain.
“No fault of his the pain”—
“The poet's guerdon winning”—
While tears fall like rain.
47
MEMORIES.
Our kisses ere the day was done
Were gathered slowly into one;
There rose a star where sank the sun.
Were gathered slowly into one;
There rose a star where sank the sun.
The whole in keeping, love confessed,
The silence of the crimsoned West,
The roving spirit seeking rest.
The silence of the crimsoned West,
The roving spirit seeking rest.
48
TRANSLATION.
[My heart is troubled, and I think]
My heart is troubled, and I think
With longing of the olden time
When under sunnier skies we dwelt,
And life ran pleasantly as rhyme.
With longing of the olden time
When under sunnier skies we dwelt,
And life ran pleasantly as rhyme.
But now is this all over-set,
And all is strain and stress instead;
No longer have we God above,
Down under lies the Devil dead,
And all is strain and stress instead;
No longer have we God above,
Down under lies the Devil dead,
And all is rotten, mean and vain,
Sad, sullen, and of joy bereft;
There were no halting place for Pain
But that a little Love is left.
Sad, sullen, and of joy bereft;
There were no halting place for Pain
But that a little Love is left.
| A collection of poems by Ernest Radford | |